UC-NRLF 


B    M    m3    331 


THE  ART  OF  ACTING 

and 
PUBLIC  READING 


THE  ART  OF  ACTING 

AND 

PUBLIC  READING 

DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 


By 
ROLLO  ANSON  TALLCOTT 

F*rofcssor  of  Public  Speaking  and  Dramatic  Art 
in  Butler  College,    Indianapolis,  Indiana 


as 


INDIANAPOLIS 

THE   BOBBS  MERRILL  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


copyrtght^  1922 
By  the  B()bus-Mi:kr[ll  Company 


Printed  in  the   United  States  of  America. 


To 

My  Mother 

Harriet  Isadore  Tallcott 


50...  .J 


PREFACE 

This  book  has  been  written  in  response  to  a  demand 
for  some  text  that  will  outline  a  course  of  instruction 
leading  to  professional  work.  It  takes  up  the  work  of 
Acting  and  Public  Reading,  and  presupposes  thorough 
training  on  the  part  of  the  student  in  common  read- 
ing and  speech  mechanics.  It  is  for  the  advanced 
student  in  the  normal  school,  the  college,  the  profes- 
sional school  of  oratory,  or  the  private  studio. 

The  purpose  of  the  book  is  to  set  forth  a  comprehen- 
sive classification  of  the  different  ways  of  presenting 
various  types  of  literature,  taking  into  consideration 
the  author's  purpose  and  the  class  of  audience  to  be 
entertained.  It  is  my  belief  that  such  a  classification 
can  be  made  and  that  it  may  become  a  useful  guide  in 
maintaining  a  standard  of  consistency  among  readers, 
entertainers  and  actors  so  that  there  may  be  less  harsh 
criticism  which  the  average  elocution  teacher  feels 
moved  to  make  upon  the  propriety  of  this  or  that  fea- 
ture of  an  entertainment. 

In  taking  up  this  classification,  let  me  say  that  I  do 
not  hope  to  have  it  accepted  as  infallible  or  as  the 
only  classification  possible,  but  I  do  hope  that  it  will 
give  the  young  platform  artist  a  clearer  conception  of 
his  field  so  that  he  will  not  encroach  upon  the  actor's 
art  in  the  name  of  public  reading. 

It  is  my  purpose  to  show  among  other  things  that  a 
studv  of  the  actor's  art  is  fundamentally  essential  to 


PREFACE 

a  complete  understanding  of  the  reader's  art  and  that 
no  public  reader  can  be  truly  suggestive  unless  he  has 
first  been  given  the  opportunity  to  express  completely 
and  conscientiously  all  action  that  he  hopes  ultimately 
to  suggest. 

One  of  my  best  friends  in  the  profession  maintains 
that  good  taste  is  the  only  standard  we  may  safely  fol- 
low in  carrying  out  our  individual  styles  of  entertain- 
ing. This  might  be  true  were  it  not  for  the  fact  that 
there  are  many  talented  entertainers  who  lack  natural 
discernment  and  good  taste,  and  who  believe  that  any 
method  of  presentation  which  brings  a  laugh  or  hearty 
applause  is  acceptable.  It  is  for  such  that  a  standard 
classification  is  necessary.  It  may  even  prove  helpful 
to  those  champions  of  good  taste  who  differ  with  their 
fellow  entertainers  as  to  what  is  really  good  taste. 
While  it  is  true  that  good  taste  might  govern  the  ma- 
jority, it  is  just  as  true  that  there  are  other  determining 
factors  which  enter  into  the  presentation  of  literature 
and  make  it  more  effective. 

I  am  indebted  to  Miss  Mae  Belle  Adams  of  Emer- 
son College  of  Oratory  and  to  Professor  H.  M.  Tilroe 
and  Mrs.  Florence  Butler  of  Syracuse  University  for 
my  early  instruction  in  fundamental  principles  of  in- 
terpretation;  to  Professor  Fredrick  D.  Losey  of  New 
York  City,  whose  technical  instruction  and  whose  pro- 
fessional work  in  Shakespearian  readings  have  always., 
been  a  source  of  inspiration  to  me;  to  Professor  I.  L. 
Winter  of  Harvard  University  and  to  Professor 
Arthur  E.  Phillips  of  Chicago,  whose  training  in  voice 
culture  and  the  principles  of  practical  public  speaking 


PREFACE 

has  been  invaluable :  to  Ernest  Elton  of  New  York 
and  to  Donald  Robertson  of  Chicago,  whose  instruc- 
tion in  acting  gave  me  the  actor's  point  of  view  and 
first  led  me  to  see  the  true  relationship  that  acting 
bears  to  public  speaking  and  public  reading,  and  per- 
haps most  of  all  I  am  indebted  to  Professor  S.  H. 
Clark  of  Chicago  University  for  many  valuable  sug- 
gestions relating  to  the  classifications  set  forth  in  this 
book. 

I  also  take  occasion  here  to  express  my  appreciation 
for  the  careful  reviewing  of  my  manuscript  which 
Professor  Ephraim  Eisenberg  of  New  York  Univer- 
sity has  given. 

R.  A.  T. 

Butler  University, 

Indianapolis,  Indiana. 


INTRODUCTION 

General  Remarks. — All  art  is  sugg^cstivc  but  some 
is  more  suggestive  than  others.  There  seems  to  be  an 
assumption  on  the  part  of  a  few  teachers  of  elocution 
that  the  more  suggestive  presentation  is  the  more 
truly  artistic.  This  is  not  true.  Up  to  a  certain  point 
realism  is  as  artistic  as  suggestion  but  in  a  different 
way.  Acting  is  much  more  realistic  than  Reading  but 
it  is  no  less  an  art,  for  with  all  the  attempts  at  realism, 
acting  is  still  highly  suggestive. 

Any  art  seeks  to  bring  out  essentials  and  to  omit  all 
that  is  not  essential.  If  it  were  possible  to  reproduce 
life  on  the  stage  exactly,  it  would  not  be  art.  A  photo- 
graph untouched  by  the  artist's  hand  is  not  art — it  is 
science.  It  reproduces  exactly  non-essentials  as  well 
as  essentials.  A  good  painting  of  the  same  object  is 
art  for  it  reproduces  only  the  essentials  of  color,  form 
and  perspective,  and  gives  the  iniprcssion  of  a  real 
reproduction.  A  crayon  drawing  of  the  same  object 
leaves  out  the  realistic  element  of  color  and  depends  a 
little  more  uix)n  the  imagination  of  the  beholder.  A 
line  drawing  of  the  same  object  in  pen  and  ink  leaves 
out  shading  and  depends  still  more  upon  suggestion. 
All  these  forms  of  art  are  suggestive  but  in  different 
degrees  and  from  different  points  of  view.  Similarly 
the  actor  may  be  compared  to  the  painter,  and  the 
reader  to  the  illustrator.  As  the  painter  with  the  use 
of  color  is  the  most  realistic  of  artists,  so  the  actor 


INTRODUCTION 

with  the  use  of  make-up,  costumes,  scenery,  furniture, 
etc.,  is  the  most  realistic  of  his  class  of  artists.  As  the 
illustrator  eliminating  color  makes  the  carefully 
shaded  crayon  drawing,  so  the  reader,  without  make- 
up, costume,  properties,  etc.,  in  personating  presents 
his  characterization  in  literal  action.  As  the  illustra- 
tor in  still  more  suggestive  drawing  eliminates  further 
the  element  of  shading  and  by  mere  pen  and  ink,  broad 
line  suggestion  makes  a  cartoon,  or  exaggerated  com- 
edy sketch,  so  the  reader  in  hupersonatize  reading 
eliminates  literal  action  and  portrays  his  comedy  or 
eccentric  characters  in  voluntary  vocal  adaptation  and 
facial  characterization-.  As  the  illustrator  in  most 
highly  suggestive  form  and  perspective  makes  the  pen 
and  ink  sketch  for  serious  rather  than  comedy  effect, 
so  the  reader  in  pure  reading  eliminates  further  vocal 
and  facial  characterization  and  becomes  most  highly 
suggestive  in  his  portrayal  of  character  moods,  and 
in  his  presentation  of  description  and  narration. 

Purpose. — The  following  chapters  will  give  an  ex- 
position of  the  essential  factors  in  the  presentation  of 
literature  through  Acting,  Personating,  Impersonative 
Reading  and  Pure  Reading;  it  will  classify  the  types 
of  literature  and  the  kinds  of  audiences  best  suited  to 
various  styles  of  presentation,  and  it  will  suggest 
methods  of  study. 

These  types  of  delivery  will  be  taken  up  in  the  order 
of  their  progression  from  realistic  presentation  on  the 
stage  to  the  most  highly  suggestive  presentation  on 
the  public  platform. 

Explanation    of    Diagrams. — In    order    that    the 


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INTRODUCTION 

relationship  which  the  Actor  and  the  Reader  bear  to 
each  other  and  to  their  respective  types  of  presentation 
roay  be  clearly  understood,  it  is  compared  by  diagram 
to  the  relationship  which  the  Painter  and  the  Illustra- 
tor bear  to  each  other  and  to  their  respective  kinds  of 
art. 

(I.)  Comparison  in  Diagram  Figure  A.  It  will  be 
observed  that  a  strong  dividing  line  separates  the  art 
of  the  Actor  from  the  art  of  the  Reader,  and  that  the 
same  line  extended  down  the  page  also  separates  the 
art  of  the  Painter  from  the  art  of  the  Illustrator.  This 
heavy  line  has  a  special  significance  in  that  it  repre- 
sents for  the  entertainer  the  point  of  departure  from 
the  use  of  properties  and  all  stage  accessories,  while 
for  the  artist  it  represents  the  point  of  departure  from 
the  use  of  color. 

The  Actor  is  likened  to  the  Painter  in  that  each  does 
his  work  as  realistically  as  possible.  The  Actor  with 
all  stage  accessories  does  his  work  through  acting 
with  action  and  characterization  complete  in  every  es- 
sential detail,  first,  in  the  play  with  fellow  actors,  and 
second,  in  the  Soliloquy,  a  slightly  less  realistic  and 
more  imaginative  selection  in  its  purpose,  alone  on 
the  stage.  The  Painter  by  the  use  of  color  does  his 
work  through  painting  with  realistic  representation  of 
nature's  colors,  form  and  perspective  first,  in  Detailed 
Art,  and  second,  in  Impressionistic  Art,  which  is 
slightly  less  realistic  and  more  imaginative  in  its  pur- 
pose. In  the  actor's  art  the  key-note  is  the  primary 
necessity  for  scene,  properties  and  stage  effects,  while 
the  key-note  for  the  painter's  art  is  the  necessity  lo.r 
color. 


INTRODUCTION 

Passing  to  the  right  of  the  dividing  line  in  the 
diagram,  the  Reader,  who  always  works  alone,  zvith- 
out  the  aid  of  make-up,  properties  or  stage  accessories 
of  any  kind,  does  his  work  in  three  ways,  namely, 
through  personating,  through  impersonative  reading 
or  through  pure  reading,  while  the  Illustrator,  with- 
out the  use  of  color,  does  his  work  in  three  ways, 
namely,  through  light  and  shade  draiving,  through 
broad  lines  in  caricature  and  through  detail  line  draw- 
ings. The  reader  in  personating  recognizes  the  key- 
note, literal  action,  while  the  illustrator  recognizes  as 
his  key-note  in  light  and  shade  drawing,  the  necessity 
for  perfectly  blended  high  lights  and  shadows,  perfect 
form  and  perfect  perspective.  For  both  the  reader 
and  the  illustrator  this  is  a  step  toward  suggestion  and 
a  step  away  from  realism  and  attention  to  detail.  The 
reader  in  impersonative  reading  departs  from  literal 
action  and  retains  only  vocal  and  facial  characteriza- 
tion in  recognizing  the  key-note,  comedy  or  eccentric 
characterization,  while  the  illustrator  in  broad  line, 
caricature  drawing  also  recognizes  eccentric  charac- 
terization as  his  key-note  and  departs  from  perfectly 
blended  light  and  shade,  using  only  rough  lines  with- 
out much  regard  for  perspective.  The  last  step  toward 
highly  suggestive  art  and  away  from  realism  is  pure 
reading  for  the  reader  and  detail  line  drawing  for  the 
illustrator.  Here  the  reader  departs  entirely  from  ex- 
ternal characterization  or  eccentric  comedy  and  de- 
pends solely  upon  the  expression  of  mood  which  is 
recognized  as  the  key-note  and  is  expressed  through 
involuntary  vocal  changes,  suggestive  action  including 


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INTRODUCTION 

subjective  gesture  and  facial  expression.  The  illus- 
trator recognizes  mood  as  his  key-note  also  and  ex- 
presses it  in  perfect  suggestion  of  perspective  and 
form  in  line  drawings  of  a  serious  rather  than  humor- 
ous nature. 

(2.)  Comparison  in  Diagram  Figure  B.  In  Fig- 
ure B  the  shaded  area  represents  the  proportion  of 
realistic  presentation  in  the  successive  kinds  of  deliv- 
ery, acting,  personating,  impersonative  reading  and 
pure  reading  as  it  decreases  correspondingly  with  the 
increase  of  suggestiveness  represented  by  the  un- 
shaded area.  The  same  proportion  exists  in  passing 
from  painting  to  detailed  line  drawing. 
(3-)  Significance  of  Diagram  Figure  C.  Figure 
C  presents  to  the  eye  a  means  of  visualizing  the  two 
classifications  for  Action  and  \^oice.  It  is  to  be  under- 
stood that  the  terms  Suggestive  and  Literal  apply  to 
all  action  including  the  zonal  classification. 


CONTENTS 


PART    ONE 

Acting 
chapter  page 

I     General  Discussion 1 

Definition 1 

Relationship  to  Reading 3 

Limit  of  Discussion 6 

Types  of  Literature  Suitable  for  Acting  7 

II     The    Play 8 

Definition 8 

Kinds  of  Plays 8 

Limit  of  Discussion 11 

Technique  of  Presentation     ....  12 

1.  The  Setting 12 

2.  Kinds  of  Furniture     .      .      .      .  13 

3.  Properties 14 

4.  Grouping  of  Characters       .      .  15 

5.  Mechanical  Effects     ...      .15 

6.  Lighting   Effects        ....  16 

7.  Concerning   Make-up   and   Cos- 

tumes         20 

III     The  Play  (continued) 23 

Technicjue  of  Presentation  (continued)  23 

8.  General  Stage  Business  .      .      .  23 

9.  Detailed    Business      ....  36 

10.  Individual    License    in    Business  39 

11.  Silent    Acting 39 

a.  Unobtrusive  Silent  Acting  40 

b.  Aggressive    Silent    Acting  41 

12.  The  Speaking  of  Lines    ...  41 

13.  Asides 45 

14.  Soliloquies 47 

Literarv  IVescntation  of  Plavs     ...  48 


CONTENTS— Continued 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

IV  The  One  Character  Play,  or  Soliloquy  50 

Definition 50 

Comparison  of  the   Soliloquy  and   the 

Aside  within  the   Play      ....  51 

The    Relative    Importance    of    Scenery 

and  Furniture 52 

Excerpts  from  Plays  for  the  Platform  53 

Technique  of  Presentation     ....  55 

V  Illustrative  Matter 57 

From  the  Play  Requiring  Two  or  More 

Characters 57 

Illustration    from    the    One    Character 

Play 59 

Brief  Summary 63 

VI    Rehearsing  Beginners       .....  65 
General   Remarks        .      .      .      .  ''  .      .65 

Selecting  the   Cast 66 

Reading    Rehearsal — General    Business 

Given 68 

Act  by  Act  Procedure 69 

Memorizing  Lines  and  Cues  ....  69 

Detailed    Business 69 

Property  Rehearsal 71 

Polish 73 

Dress  Rehearsal  with  Effects     ...  79 

Final    Rehearsal 80 

A  Final  Word 81 


PART   TWO 

Reading 

VII    General  Discussion 87 

Definition  of  Reading 87 

The  Relationship  of  Reading  to  Acting    87 


CONTEXTS— C(?n/mii£7aJ 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

1.  The    Arts    Themselves     ...     87 

2.  The  Artists  Compared     ...     88 
The  Three  Types  of   Presentation   for 

the  Reader 95 

1.  Personating 95 

2.  Impersonative  Reading     ...  95 

3.  Pure  Reading 96 

The  Determining  Factors  in  Alaking  the 

Subdivisions 96 

1.  The  Author's  Purpose      ...  96 

2.  The  Literary  Composition     .      .  97 

3.  Method   of  Gassifying  a   Selec- 

tion Quickly 99 

General  Limitations  in  Attitude  and  in 
Sex 101 

1.  Bearing  in  Reading  (Pure  or  Im- 

personative) Compared  to  Bear- 
ing in  Personating     ....    101 

2.  Sex  Limitation  in  Personating  and 

in  Reading 103 

VIII     Personating 105 

Definition  Elaborated 105 

Type  of  Selection  for  Personating  .      .   105 

1.     The  Personation 105 

Vocal  Features  of  Personating     .      .       112 
1.     Voluntary    Adaptation    of    Voice 

to  Characterization    .      .      .      .112 

a.  Conscious    Change    in   the 

Four  Elements:  Quality, 
Force,  Pitch  and  Time   .    112 

b.  Conscious      Imitation      of 

Speech  ^Mechanics  in  Pro- 
ducing Dialects    .      .      .115 

c.  Conscious  Imitation  of  Lo- 

cal and  Provincial  Speech  117 


COyiTE'SlTS—Continued 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

d.  Conscious      Imitation     of 

Speech  Defects     .      .      .120 

e.  Song   Imitation      .      .      .   121 
2.     Involuntary  Change  of  Voice  Ex- 
pressing the  Varying  Moods     .    121 

Actional  Features  of  Personating     .      .122 

1.  Literalness  in  All  Action  .      .      .    122 

2.  Technique  of  Action  in  Personat- 

ing        124 

The  Use  of  a  Qiair  and  Personal  Prop- 
erties       .      .    128 

Treatment  of  Personation  within  Per- 
sonating        130 

The  Treatment  of  Vocal  Imitation  with- 
in Personating 132 

The  Use  of  Literal  Song  in  Personating  133 
Relation  of  Personating  to  Impersona- 
tive  Reading 134 

IX    Impersonative  Reading 135 

Definition  Elaborated 135 

Type  of  Selection  Suitable  for  Imper- 
sonative Reading 135 

1.     The  Character  Reading    .      .      .135 

Vocal  Features  of  Impersonative  Read- 
ing       137 

Actional    Features     of     Impersonative 
Reading 137 

Stationary   Position  of  the  Reader   in 
Impersonative  Reading     ....    140 

Treatment   of   Personation   within   Im- 
personative Reading 141 

Treatment   of   Vocal    Imitation   within 
Impersonative   Reading      ....    142 

The    Use    of    Song    in    Impersonative 
Reading 143 

The  Treatment  of  First  Person  Narra- 
tive      144 


I 


CONTENTS— Continued 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

X     Pure  Reading 146 

Dcfiuition  Elaborated 146 

Type  of  Selecton    for  Pure  Reading    .  147 
1.     The  Interpretative  Reading   .      .147 

Vocal  Features  of  Pure  Reading     .      .  148 

Actional  Features  of   Pure  Reading  .  150 
Treatment    of     Mood     Representation 

within    Normal    Characterization      .  153 
Treatment  of  Vocal  Imitation  in  Pure 

Reading 154 

The  Suggestion  of  Song  in  Pure  Read- 
ing        156 

First  and   Third   Person   Narrative      .  158 

XI     The  Varied  Treatment  of  Types     .      .  161 
Selections  for  Either  Impersonativc  or 

Pure     Reading 161 

Selections   Unmistakable   in    Classifica- 
tion   162 

Selections    Impossible    to    Classify    as 

Readings 164 

1.  The  Burlesque 164 

2.  The  Inconsistent  Composition     .  165 

3.  Stunts,  or  Imitations   ....  166 

4.  Ventriloquism  166 


PART   THREE 

Method  of  Study 

XII     General  Discussion 171 

Introductory  Statement 171 

The  Development  of  Human  Expression  174 
The  Development  of  llic   Art  of  Pure 

Reading 176 

The  Law  of  Suggestive  Action       .      .178 
The  Law  of  Vocal  Changes       .      .      .180 


C01<ITE1\TS— Continued 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XIII  Suggestions  for  Study 182 

In  the  Play  with  Others       ....   182 

In  the  SoHloquy  Alone 184 

The  Soliloquy  for  Personating  .  .  .  185 
The  Monologue  for  Personating  .  .  187 
The  Eccentric  Address  for  Personating  188 
The  Character  Series  for  Personating  189 
The  Character  Soliloquy  and  the  Char- 
acter  Monologue    for   Impersonative 

Reading 190 

The  Character  Play  for  Impersonative 

Reading 191 

The    Character    Narrative    for    Imper- 
sonative Reading 192 

Interpretative  Readings,  Including  Sub- 
forms  for  Pure  Reading    .      .      .      .192 
How  to  Work  out  Any  Selection   for 
Public  Presentation 193 

XIV  Choice  of  Selection 196 

The  Student's  Difficulty       ....  196 

New  Selections  or  Old 198 

Where  to  Find  New  Material  ...  199 
How  to  Recognize  Good  Material  for 

Adaptation 199 

Cutting  the   Selection 201 

Preparing  the  Selection  for  Delivery     .  202 

XV    Choice  of  Professional  Training     .     .  208 

Introductory 208 

Suggested  Course  for  the  Actor  .  .  209 
Suggested  Course  for  the  Reader  .  .  210 
Suggested     Course     for     the     Public 

Speaker 210 

A  Word  about  the  Preliminary  Courses  211 


COxXTENTS— C(?//(:/w(/^(^ 

PAGE 

Appendix 215 

Definition  of  Class  Tvpcs     .      .      .      .215 

1.  The  Artists  Defined     .      .      .      .215 

2.  The  Arts  Defined       .       ...  216 

3.  Types  of  Literature  Defined      .  217 
Definition  of  Voice  and  Action       .      .   219 

1.  Action     Defined     According     to 

Bodily    Zones 220 

2.  Action  Defined  According  to  its 

Literalness  and  Suggestiveness  221 

3.  Voice   Defined 222 

Definition  of  Forms  of  Composition   .   222 
Definition  of  Mood  and  Atmosphere    .  224 


PART   ONE 
Acting 


THE  ART  OF  ACTING 
AND  PUBLIC  READING 

CHAPTER  I 

GENERAL    DISCUSSION 

Definition. — The  term  acting  must  not  be  con- 
fused with  the  term  action  which  refers  to  all  bodily 
expression  including  gesture,  facial  expression,  poise 
and  carriage.  Acting  is  the  art  of  presenting  litera- 
ture in  the  form  of  a  Play  or  a  Soliloquy.  The  char- 
acters are  here  assumed  by  an  equal  number  of  persons 
and  are  played  in  appropriate  make-up,  wigs,  beards 
and  costume  while  making  use  of  essential  properties 
and  furniture  in  a  setting  of  special  scenery.  The  sit- 
uations are  made  as  realistic  as  possible  with  the  aid 
of  mechanical  devices  imitating  wind,  rain  and  thun- 
der, together  with  the  electrical  appliances  that  furnish 
the  different  light  effects. 

In  acting,  as  little  as  possible  of  detailed  action  is 
left  to  the  imagination  of  the  audience,  for  its  purpose 
throughout  is  to  make  the  scene  realistic,  although 
there  are  necessarily  many  elements  that  must  make 
their  appeal  through  the  imagination.  This  is  due  to 
the  fact  that  acting  is  an  art  instead  of  a  science.    A 

I 


2  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

good  painting,  no  matter  how  detailed  in  execution,  is 
art  because  it  can  only  approach  realism  and  can  never 
be  exact.  A  photograph  is  an  exact  reproduction  im- 
possible of  accomplishment  by  human  agency  and  is 
therefore  not  art  but  science.  The  ability  to  grasp 
all  the  essential  details  and  omit  non-essentials  in  re- 
producing different  phases  of  life,  whether  in  paint- 
ing or  in  acting,  constitutes  art,  but  any  means  that 
can  possibly  reproduce  these  phases  with  exactness  is 
science  and  can  not  be  called  art. 

The  imagination  is  called  upon  in  acting,  to  suggest 
the  passage  of  time.  The  lowering  of  the  curtain, 
dark  changes,  change  in  the  period  or  style  of  costume, 
or  a  change  in  the  lighting  effects  are  all  means  of 
suggesting  to  the  audience  the  conception  of  minutes, 
hours,  days,  months  or  years  which  are  supposed  to 
have  passed  during  the  progress  of  the  play. 

The  character  of  the  scenery  representing  luxury  or 
poverty ;  indoors  or  outdoors ;  summer,  winter,  spring 
or  fall ;  the  style  and  quality  of  the  furniture ;  the  taste 
of  the  decorations  and  the  general  coloring  of  the 
scene,  stirs  the  imagination  of  the  audience  to  a  con- 
ception of  definite  location. 

The  unreality  of  the  footlights  and  the  absence  of 
the  fourth  wall  to  an  interior  set  stimulate  the  mind 
of  the  audience  to  imagine  the  whole  scene,  characters, 
dialogue  and  all  to  be,  not  within  the  narrow  limits  of 
a  theater  building,  but  out  in  the  real  world.  Other 
appeals  to  the  imagination  are  made  through  the  back- 
ing sets  to  the  exits,  the  adjoining  room  and  out-of- 
doors  ;  through  the  use  of  the  telephone  which  induces 


ACTING  3 

the  audience  to  imagine  a  person  at  the  other  end  of 
the  wire,  and  through  the  mentioning  of  characters 
and  events  not  actually  represented  before  the  au- 
dience. From  these  instances  it  may  be  seen  that  act- 
ing approaches  the  realistic  representation  of  life  but 
still  retains  hold  on  the  imagination  to  a  very  great 
extent.  It  has  chosen  the  essential  details  necessary 
to  give  a  conception  of  real  scenes  and  incidents  and 
is  therefore  art. 

Acting  is  art  for  another  reason.  The  actor  who 
can  so  admirably  adjust  himself  to  another's  point  of 
view  that  he  can  assume  his  likeness  in  action,  make- 
up and  speech,  and  adapt  himself  to  the  essential 
characteristics  of  the  character  in  the  dialogue,  is  an 
artist,  for  he  has  aroused  the  imagination  to  a  point 
at  which  the  auditor  forgets  he  is  listening  to  a  play 
and  for  the  time  being  believes  he  is  witnessing  a  bit 
of  actual  life. 

Relationship  to  Reading. — There  has  grown  up  a 
prevailing  idea  among  literary  students,  particularly 
among  those  who  make  some  attempt  at  the  public 
reading  of  plays  and  classic  literature,  that  reading, 
because  it  is  suggestive,  is  much  more  worthy  of  the 
name  Art  than  is  acting.  An  audience  is  thought 
to  be  uplifted  and  ennobled  if  the  imagination  is  ap- 
pealed to,  and  since  acting  is  realistic  and  docs  not 
constantly  stimulate  the  faculty  of  imagination,  it  is 
not  so  high  an  art  as  reading.  The  error  in  this  rea- 
soning lies  in  the  false  assumption  that  acting  can  not 
be  suggestive  as  well  as  realistic.  Acting  is  sugges- 
tive, but  in  a  different  way. 


4  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

Acting  is  just  as  essential  to  the  ultimate  building 
of  suggestive  power  in  reading  as  food  is  to  the  ulti- 
mate making  of  blood  which  feeds  the  brain  and  pro- 
duces thought.  There  must  first  be  a  broad  experience 
of  realism  before  the  mind  can  begin  to  create  imagin- 
ative or  ideal  pictures.  The  individual  who  has  the 
genius  to  adapt  himself  to  other  points  of  view  and 
reproduce  accurately  the  essential  vocal  and  bodily  ex- 
pression of  the  character  is  as  great  an  artist  as  the 
finished  reader  who  has  learned  to  play  almost  wholly 
upon  the  imagination.  The  two  arts  are  different, 
but  their  difference  lies  in  the  manner  of  development. 
Acting  is  realistic  in  that  it  tries  to  reproduce  every 
essential  detail  in  order  that  the  picture  created  may 
be  to  every  one  the  same  in  degree  of  vividness  or  im- 
pressiveness.  It  is  suggestive  in  its  larger  connota- 
tion to  the  auditor  and  in  the  fact  that  it  actually 
brings  out  only  essential  details  whereby  the  auditor 
can  get  the  real  picture  without  being  obliged  to  ac- 
cept the  non-essentials.  Acting  does  not  require  the 
scene  to  be  actually  in  somebody's  front  yard  or  in 
the  barroom  of  a  New  York  dive,  but  it  requires 
painted  scenery  to  suggest  these  places.  It  does  not 
go  out  on  the  city  streets  and  bring  in  on  the  stage  a 
real  Italian  organ  grinder  to  represent  **Mr.  Antonio," 
nor  does  it  conscript  a  country  minister  to  give  a  life- 
like imitation  of  himself  before  the  public,  but  it  em- 
ploys Otis  Skinner  and  Ernest  Elton  to  represent  in 
essential  detail  these  characters  necessary  to  the  play. 
There  is  realism,  to  be  sure,  and  yet  back  of  it  all  there 
is  a  great  inherent  suggestion. 

iThe  power  of  reading  lies  in  the  fact  that  by  voice 


ACTING  5 

and  suggestive  action  it  inspires  in  the  minds  of  the 
audience  the  essential  details  of  a  theme  sufficient  to 
allow  them  to  create  their  own  complete  picture  and 
draw  their  own  conclusions.  Public  reading,  however, 
is  impossible  of  accomplishment  by  one  who  has  not 
first  a  real  conception  of  what  he  wants  to  suggest  so 
that  he  may  choose  the  essentials  necessary  for  imagi- 
native inspiration.  In  order  to  be  a  great  public  reader, 
one  must  first  be  naturally  a  good  actor,  although  he 
may  know  very  little  of  the  technique  of  acting.  After 
a  reader  has  been  developed  along  the  imaginative 
lines  of  his  particular  art,  he  very  often  becomes  a 
poor  actor  because  he  has  developed  the  suggestive- 
ness  at  the  expense  of  detailed  realism.  Conversely 
an  accomplished  and  successful  actor  is  rarely  able  to 
excel  in  the  reader's  art,  because  he  has  developed  the 
detailed  realism  of  acting  at  the  expense  of  his  sugges- 
tive powers.  It  is  this  one-sided  development  that 
causes  so  much  inconsistency  on  the  part  of  the  actors 
and  the  so-called  readers  when  they  present  their  work 
for   public   approval. 

The  actor  is  always  a  character  on  the  stage  whether 
speaking  or  silent,  and  must  always  be  doing  some- 
thing consistent  with  the  character  he  represents. 
Great  attention  is  paid  to  apparently  trivial  details  of 
business.  Every  move  is  important.  The  picking  up 
of  a  pin,  the  closing  of  a  door,  the  lighting  of  a  match, 
or  the  supposedly  unconscious  drumming  of  the  foot 
on  the  floor ;  all  these  have  a  composite  significance 
in  making  up  the  general  effect  of  reality.  But  this 
fact  must  be  remembered :  nothing  that  is  unessential 
may  be  brought  in.     Herein  lies  the  art.     If  it  were 


6  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

true  to  life,  the  action  would  be  burdened  with  a  thou- 
sand accidental  details  that  have  no  significance,  and 
the  time  of  playing  would  have  to  be  exactly  as  long 
as  actually  living  the  story.  In  fact  it  would  be  im- 
possible for  human  beings  to  reproduce  with  scientific 
accuracy  even  ten  minutes  of  the  life  of  one  person ; 
but  an  artist  can  choose  the  essential  acts  and  move- 
ments of  one  person  throughout  a  lifetime  and  repro- 
duce them  in  the  space  of  three  hours  on  the  stage. 
It  is  not,  therefore,  the  number  of  details  wrought  in 
a  piece  of  reproduction  that  makes  it  good  or  bad  art, 
but  in  the  choice  of  details.  Again,  to  bring  up  a 
comparison,  photography  is  scientifically  exact  because 
nature  and  not  the  human  mind  has  accomplished  it, 
but  painting  is  artistically  discriminating  because  tlie 
human  mind  is  able  to  reproduce  essential  details. 

Limit  of  Discussion. — In  this  discussion  of  acting 
no  attempt  is  made  to  produce  a  professional  guide- 
book for  staging  plays,  but  there  will  be  an  endeavor 
to  give  suggestions  for  training  the  student  in  acting 
to  a  sufficient  extent  that  he  may  have  his  mind,  body 
and  voice  thoroughly  accustomed  to  being  adapted  to 
the  expression  of  different  points  of  view  (character- 
ization). Then,  later  in  his  study  of  Public  Reading, 
he  will  have  a  fundamental  experience  upon  which  to 
build  his  more  suggestive  work.  The  discussion  will 
not  touch  on  make-up,  costume,  or  scenery  effects  in 
detail,  but  will  lay  emphasis  on  literal  action  with 
properties,  stage  business,  silent  action  and  spoken 
lines  including  vocal  characterization. 

Types    of    Literature    Suitable    for    Acting. — In 


ACTING  7 

Part  One,  acting  shall  be  discussed  first,  with  regard 
to  the  PtSS'  in  wliich  two  or  more  characters  are  in 
conversation,  and  Si^cond,  with  regard  to  the  Soliloquy, 
or  play  written  for  one  character  only.  The  Soliloquy 
marks  the  natural  transition  point  for  the  actor  to 
develop  into  the  reader.  He  still  has  practice  in  the 
use  of  properties  and  in  literal  action,  but  he  has 
added  one  new  note  to  h.is  work — that  of  havin,c^  the 
attention  of  the  audience  centered  wholly  upon 
himself. 


CHAPTER  II 


THE   PLAY 


Definition. — The  Play  is  a  piece  of  literature  writ- 
ten in  pure  dialogue  form  for  two  or  more  characters 
in  which  costume,  make-up,  properties  and  appropriate 
stage  setting  are  employed,  and  in  which  as  many 
persons  as  there  are  characters  to  be  represented  act. 
The  Play,  of  course,  may  be  read  by  one  person,  but 
it  is  referred  to  in  this  chapter  solely  as  a  vehicle  for 
acting. 

Kinds  of  Plays. — Plays  are  regarded  as  to  their 
character  under  the  head  of  farces,  farce-comedies, 
comedies,  comedy-dramas,  dramas,  tragedies  and 
poetic  dramas,  and  progress  in  their  imaginative  and 
connotative  power  proportionately  from  the  farce  to 
the  poetic  drama. 

The  Farce  is  an  almost  wholly  surface  play  with  no 
depth  of  thought  or  suggestion  and  with  no  appeal 
whatever  to  esthetic  or  ennobling  motives.  It  abounds 
in  exaggerated  comedy  and  impossible  situations 
which  serve  merely  to  entertain  for  a  couple  of  hours 
and  thereafter  be  forgotten.  The  Magistrate,  by 
Pinero,  and  Jane,  by  Leskocq  and  Nicholls,  are  not- 
able examples  of  the  farce. 

Farce-Comedy  is  one  step  in  advance  of  the  farce 
in  that,  while  its  situations  are  not  actually  impossible, 
yet  they  are   highly   improbable,   so  that  the  humor 

8 


ACTING  9 

resulting  is  as  exaggerated  as  that  of  the  farce.  The 
Great  Adventure,  by  Arnold  Bennet,  is  an  example  of 
the  farce-comedy.  While  it  might  be  said  that  the 
farce-comedy  does  leave  something  for  the  auditor  to 
think  about,  it  is  nevertheless,  like  the  farce,  essen- 
tially lacking  in  appeal  to  any  of  the  higher  feelings. 

The  Comedy  makes  a  decided  step  in  advance  in 
its  appeal  to  real  lasting  thought.  It  is  not  exag- 
gerated. The  situations  are,  of  course,  unusual,  but 
not  at  all  Improbable,  and  the  humor  is  so  compelling 
that  it  is  at  once  uplifting  and  connotative  of  beauty 
and  of  the  real  joy  of  life.  It  stirs  not  deeply  but 
gently  and  is  much  more  far-reaching  in  its  imagina- 
tive influence  than  many  who  are  more  sober-minded 
are  willing  to  admit.  The  comedy  is  more  difficult 
to  present  than  either  the  farce-comedy  or  the  farce, 
for  to  bring  out  the  essentials  of  humor  in  life  with- 
out overdoing  and  employing  a  number  of  accidentals 
requires  the  highest  type  of  art.  To  play  a  tragic 
role  does  not  demand  more  discriminating  ability,  and 
it  is  easier  to  tell  the  culture  of  an  actor  through  the 
quality  of  his  humor  than  through  the  power  of  his 
pathos  or  his  magnetic  appeal  to  the  sentiments.  The 
comedy  then,  has  much  to  do  with  the  imagination  and 
it  is  therefore  the  best  of  all  types  for  the  early  stu- 
dent's study  and  practice.  The  Fortune  Hunter  and 
The  Boomerang,  both  by  Winchell  Smith,  are  notable 
examples  of  pure  comedy. 

The  Comedy-Drama  is  a  pleasantly  humorous  play, 
with  a  mildly  amusing  plot  balanced  by  serious 
thought  and  sympathetic  mood.    The  humor  is  present 


lo  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

to  relieve  the  otherwise  serious  mood  rather  than  to 
be  amusing  for  its  own  sake.  Its  imaginative  appeal 
is  to  the  sentiments  and  its  connotative  power  pro- 
duces many  lasting  impressions.  The  comedy-drama 
may  have  an  uplifting  mission  and  may  therefore  be 
regarded  as  possessiiig  distinct  virtues  for  the  student 
who  has  ambition  to  become  a  public  reader.  It  gives 
opportunity  for  the  development  in  another  direction, 
namely,  toward  sympathetic  emotion,  while  still  retain- 
ing the  appreciation  for'  the  niceties  of  humor.  Mice 
and  Men,  by  Madeline  Lucette  Ryley,  is  a  splendid 
example  of  this  type  of  play. 

The  Drama  is  a  serious  play.  While  it  may  have 
touches  of  humor  (it  really  ought  to,  for  a  play  with- 
out humor  is  depressing  and  on  the  whole  does  not 
leave  so  strong  an  impression)  its  plot  and  purpose  are 
serious.  The  appeal  is  to  the  deeper  natures  of  mea 
and  affords  great  opportunity  for  the  imagination  of 
the  auditors.  In  this  type  of  play,  the  problems,  sor- 
Tov^s  and  disappointm.ents  of  life  have  their  expression 
and  are  therefore  more  keenly  connotative  to  the 
average  listener  than  the  joys,  and  the  unexpected 
pleasures  of  life,  for  they  come  closer  to  the  ordinary 
experiences.  It  is  easier  to  make  an  average  audienqe 
weep  than  to  make  it  laugh.  Notable  examples  of  the 
serious  play  are  The  Passing  of  the  Third  floor  Back, 
Kindling,  The  Truth  and  The  Thief.  All  these  have 
remarkable  connotative  power. 

The  Tragedy  is  a  pathetic  play  in  which  the  extreme 
of  the  serious  emotions  arc  portrayed.  It  usually 
teaches  a  powerful  lesson  and,  because  of  its  warning, 


ACTING  II 

gives  great  opportunity  for  imaginative  effect.  It  is 
the  most  powerful  of  dramas  and  should  not  be  at- 
tempted by  students  until  they  have  had  plenty  of 
experience  in  the  milder  forms  of  plays.  Many  public 
readers  and  actors  fail  at  the  beginning  because  they 
make  the  mistake  of  trying  to  do  what  is  beyond  their 
experience  to  understand.  Othello  or  Hamlet  or  Lear 
may  be  wonderfully  acted  by  Mantell,  Sothcrn  or 
Faversham,  or  read  by  two  or  three  of  our  veteran 
readers,  but  it  is  a  mistake  for  the  young  reader  to 
attempt  tragedies  in  public. 

The  Poetic  Drama  is  a  highly  idealized  play  written 
in  meter.  It  is  the  most  imaginative  of  all  plays  and 
is  very  often  given  with  as  much  power  as  a  reading 
as  when  fully  acted  out  in  a  complete  setting.  Such  a 
play  rarely  requires  much  action  or  use  of  properties, 
for  its  purpose  is  so  obviously  to  produce  thought  and 
emotional  connotation  that  properties  become  almost 
purely  accidental.  There  are,  in  fact,  many  such  pla}s 
which  lose  much  of  their  beauty  when  presented  in  a 
regular  setting  with  properties  and  costumes.  Tenny- 
son's The  Falcon  and  Bccket  are  much  more  suitable 
for  reading  than  for  acting.  Every  wo  man,  by 
Browne,  makes  a  wonderful  reading,  but  its  author 
has  worked  out  so  ingeniously  the  action  in  the  va- 
rious settings  that  when  acted  it  loses  nothing,  but 
rather  adds  new  and  clearer  values  which  offer  in 
turn  new  connotations. 

Limit  of  Discussion. — Other  classifications  of  the 
play  might  be  given  such  as  the  Melodrama,  an  exag- 
gerated,   serious    play    with     improbable    situations ; 


12  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

Vaudeville  Sketches;  Ventriloquial  Stunts,  etc.,  but 
they  have  no  place  here.  There  are,  of  course,  the 
musical  plays  v^hich  approach  the  ideal  of  high  imagi- 
nation through  progression  from  the  Burlesque,  Musi- 
cal Comedy,  Comic  Opera  and  Light  Opera  to  Grand 
Opera,  but  this  discussion  is  concerned  solely  with  the 
dramatic  phase  of  the  art  and  will  not  trespass  upon 
the  musical  field. 

Technique  of  Presentation. — From  the  standpoint 
of  a  finished  production,  there  are  several  avenues  of 
criticism  open  to  the  Director  of  plays  when  he  is  pro- 
ducing a  performance,  in  a  regularly  equipped  theater, 
for  which  an  admission  price  is  charged. 
(i.)  The  Setting.  In  the  first  place  the  scenery 
must  have  been  selected  to  represent  as  closely  as  pos- 
sible the  period,  the  season  of  the  year,  the  locality 
and  the  condition  of  environment.  Special  attention 
should  have  been  given  to  the  grouping  of  the  furni- 
ture in  the  scene  so  that  each  room  or  set  maintains  a 
natural  and  livable  aspect.  The  chairs  should  look  as 
if  they  had  been  as  unconsciously  placed  without 
special  reference  to  any  one  of  the  four  walls — as  they 
would  look  in  a  real  living-room.  If  the  chairs  all 
face  the  audience  at  right  angles  they  produce  the 
same  effect  on  a  careful  observer  that  any  actual  sit- 
ting-room would  make  if  all  the  chairs  faced  primly 
in  one  direction.  There  is,  of  course,  this  difference 
between  the  real  room  and  the  stage  set ;  while  a  real 
room  should  be  the  model  for  a  stage  dressing,  yet  the 
art  of  decorating  for  the  stage  is  manifested  in  the 
placing  of  the  furniture  so  that  it  does  not  seem  at  all 


ACTING  13 

stiff  and  conventional  but  at  the  same  time  keeps  its 
general  direction  toward  the  audience.  This  effect  is 
sometimes  acquired  by  placing  one  or  two  unused 
chairs  up  stage  at  an  angle  nearly  opposite  to  some  of 
the  down-stage  chairs.  One  of  the  first  things  that 
marks  a  production  as  amateurish  and  permits  an  air 
of  tolerance  to  settle  on  the  faces  of  a  patronizing  pub- 
lic, is  the  stiff,  prim  arrangement  of  the  furniture. 

One  way  of  eliminating  the  stiffness  of  effect  in 
the  grouping  of  furniture  is  to  place  the  pieces  first 
just  as  straight  and  conventionally  as  possible  with 
every  piece  at  right  angles  to  the  footlights.  Then 
the  director  should  walk  across  the  stage,  giving  a 
shove  here  and  a  push  there  in  haphazard  angles  until 
every  piece  has  been  moved.  After  seeing  how  the 
grouping  looks  from  the  front,  he  should  repeat  the 
operation  several  times,  trying  the  distances  and  angles 
until  the  room  looks  like  a  real  one.  The  furniture 
used  most  by  the  characters  should  be  placed  down 
stage  and  rather  near  the  center,  leaving  the  up  stage 
for  silent  and  unobtrusive  action.  No  exact  rule  can 
be  given  for  the  placing  of  furniture  but  the  practised 
eye  of  the  director  who  has  observed  different  ar- 
rangements in  real  homes  will  enable  him  to  bring 
about  any  effect  he  wants. 

(2.)  Kinds  of  Furniture.  In  selecting  furniture  for 
the  scene  the  director  must  be  careful  to  see  that  it  is 
appropriate  in  period  and  quality,  and  that  it  is  con- 
sistent with  the  atmosphere.  To  play  a  kitchen  scene 
in  a  richly  furnished  parlor  set  or  a  ballroom  scene 
furnished  with  wooden  chair  and  an  old  work  bench 


14  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

would,  of  course,  hardly  be  permitted  by  even  the 
most  inexperienced  of  directors,  but  there  are  subtler 
distinctions  that  need  consideration,  A  fireplace,  for 
instance,  may  be  perfectly  proper  in  a  scene,  but  if  it 
is  apparently  going  full  blast  in  a  situation  supposed 
to  occur  in  the  middle  of  July,  it  is  too  much  to  expect 
that  a  few  bright  minds  in  the  audience  will  not  detect 
the  inconsistency  and  spread  the  news  to  the  rest  of 
the  audience.  The  wall  decorations,  bric-a-brac  and 
paintings  should  be  in  keeping  with  the  spirit  of  the 
scene  and  the  nature  of  the  characters  occupying  the 
surroundings.  A  truly  artistic  director  will  pay  great 
attention  to  the  appropriate  coloring  of  the  scene  and 
see  that  the  furniture  and  upholstery  is  in  keeping. 
(S-)  Properties.  After  seeing  that  the  set  is  com- 
plete the  next  care  of  the  director  is  to  know  that  all 
the  essential  properties  are  in  place  for  instant  use  and 
that  they  are  consistent  wnih.  the  period,  locality  and 
season.  One  of  the  ludicrous  blunders  often  made  on 
the  amateur  stage  is  seen  in  the  appearance  of  a  young 
woman  in  furs  with  snowflakes  dotting  her  apparel, 
followed  by  a  young  man  wearing  a  straw  hat!  An- 
other inconsistency  is  noticed  in  the  use  of  a  stylish 
electric  lamp  at  a  period  when  candles  were  used  ex- 
clusively. Attention  to  such  little  details  is  necessary 
to  the  fulfilment  of  the  author's  purpose  in  giving  the 
play  to  the  public.  The  least  inconsistency  often 
creates  an  atmosphere  that  destroys  the  impression  of 
reality  and  thus  hinders  the  broader  connotative  influ- 
ence of  the  play.  The  director  should  be  sure  that 
each  actor  is  responsible  for  every  property  that  he  is 


ACTING  15 

personally  concerned  with,  such  as  letters,  newspapers, 
fountain  pen,  watch,  handkerchief,  eye-glass,  cigarette 
case  or  anything  that  is  not  a  general  property,  or 
that  is  used  in  common  on  the  stage  by  all  the  actors. 
(4.)  Grouping  of  Characters.  Careful  grouping  of 
the  characters  on  the  stage  is  most  essential  in  order 
to  keep  what  is  known  as  ''balance."  The  action 
should  never  be  centered  for  any  length  of  time  on 
one  corner  of  the  stage  while  the  rest  of  the  stage  is 
unoccupied.  The  center  and  down  stage  if  possible 
is  always  reserved  for  the  most  important  situations 
and  action  in  the  scene.  The  silent  actors  and  super- 
numerary groups  are  placed  in  informal  but  balanced 
positions  up  stage  and  at  the  sides.  These  groups 
should  never  remain  long  in  the  same  positions  but 
should  shift  about  unostentatiously  in  order  to  give 
the  impression  of  unstudied  movement  and  poise. 
Groups  up  stage  should  not  all  stand  or  sit  facing  the 
audience  (unless,  of  course,  their  attention  is  sup- 
posed to  be  upon  those  occupying  the  center).  All 
should  be  doing  something  or  conversing  in  pan- 
tomime. It  is  not  necessary  here  to  speak  in  detail  of 
the  correct  standing,  sitting  or  reclining  positions  on 
the  stage.  All  this  has  been  effectively  set  forth  in 
various  guide-books  of  stage  technique.  It  is  enough 
to  say  that  the  director  must  see  to  it  that  good  pos- 
tures are  formed  and  such  harmony  of  action  main- 
tained that  no  group  either  silent  or  speaking, 
stationary  or  in  motion,  shall  attract  attention  to  itself 
without  being  related  to  the  atmosphere  of  the  scene. 
(5.)     Mechanical   Effects,     Another    important    part 


i6  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

of  a  stage  performance  is  the  mechanical  effects,  and 
in  this  phase  of  his  work  the  director  can  not  be  too 
careful.  Since  in  the  play  realism  is  sought  after,  and 
since  as  many  essential  detailed  impressions  as  pos- 
sible are  given  to  the  audience,  it  is  important  that  the 
sounds  of  wind,  thunder,  the  pattering  of  rain,  the 
crash  of  broken  glass,  the  clatter  of  horses'  hoofs,  the 
sounds  of  an  approaching  auto,  the  honk  of  the  horn 
and  all  the  various  sounds  that  can  be  represented  by 
mechanical  devices  be  used  to  help  keep  consistent  the 
illusion  of  reality.  The  effect  of  snow  or  rain  as  seen 
through  the  window  or  in  an  exterior  setting  can  be 
brought  about  with  a  vividness  that  is  remarkable  and 
may  be  necessary  to  a  complete  realization  of  the 
author's  purpose.  All  these  things  go  to  make  up  an 
integral  impression  which,  unless  kept  consistent, 
would  impair  the  larger  suggestive  effect  upon  the 
audience.  Of  course,  many  of  these  "effects"  as  they 
are  called  can  be  omitted  without  serious  loss,  but  the 
director  must  be  sure  that  such  an  omission  will  not 
be  noticed.  For  instance,  if  a  character  approaches 
the  window  and  raising  the  shade  exclaims,  *'My! 
What  a  dreadful  storm !  Oh !  What  a  crash !"  it  is 
too  much  to  expect  that  the  audience  will  remain  un- 
der the  spell  of  the  situation  if,  upon  looking  out  the 
window,  it  beholds  a  beautifully  clear  sky  in  bright 
sunlight,  and,  instead  of  hearing  the  thunder  crash, 
listens  attentively  to  dead  silence  preceding  the  last 
part  of  the  actor's  speech ! 

(6.)  Lighting  Effects.  Electricity  has  made  possible 
the    representation    of    the    various    lighting    effects 


ACTING  17 

which  add  so  much  to  the  atmosphere  of  a  play.  The 
fire  in  the  fireplace,  the  lightning  flash  and  the  dif- 
ferent shades  of  twilight,  moonlight  and  daylight, 
have  made  the  presentation  of  plays  so  realistic  that 
the  imagination  of  the  audience,  unburdened  with  the 
necessity  of  supplying  these  details,  is  left  free  to  ex- 
pand in  the  larger  connotation  of  thought  and  feeling. 

The  significance  of  color  effects  is  exceedingly 
great  in  the  production  of  a  pretentious  play.  Of 
course,  where  there  are  no  important  changes  of  light 
throughout  the  play,  it  may  be  acted  in  whatever  light 
the  theater  affords,  but  a  play  requiring  any  changes 
of  light  should  not  be  attempted  in  a  poorly  equipped 
theater.  A  good  theater  to-day  is  equipped  with  all 
the  necessary  electrical  apparatus  used  for  the  produc- 
tion of  all  varieties  of  light.  The  director  should 
make  himself  acquainted  with  the  various  psychologi- 
cal influences  said  to  be  present  in  these  different  col- 
ored lights. 

Yellow  light  is  the  bright,  vivacious,  happy  light 
appropriate  to  brilliant  evening  scenes,  while  the  same 
light,  dimmed,  lends  a  note  of  anxiety,  or  suspense. 

Dark  blue  is  the  suggestion  for  darkness  and  in- 
duces an  atmosphere  of  mystery  and  danger. 

Amber  light  is  effectively  used  to  represent  hot, 
sultry  weather  and  is  often  used  in  desert  scenes  to 
suggest  sun-baked  plains  at  noon  time.  A  mixture  of 
amber  and  ordinary  yellow  light  with  a  slight  tinge  of 
light  blue  gives  the  daylight  interior  effect. 

Pure  white  light  should  never  be  used  except  in 
scenes  portraying  a  supernatural,  or  ghostly  setting. 


i8  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

Jt  is  directly  opposite  in  effect  to  the  dark  blue,  or 
mystery  light  for  the  white  is  frankly  supernatural 
and  the  blue  suggests  material  mystery  or  suspense. 
For  instance,  a  graveyard  scene  at  night  may  be 
played  in  dark  blue  light,  but  a  scene  representing  a 
dream  in  which  one  talks  with  spirits  or  fairies  or 
angels  should  be  played  in  white  light. 

Light  green  is  restful  in  its  influence  and,  while  it  is 
rarely  used  alone,  it  becomes  most  effective  in  its 
modulation  from  the  yellows  and  ambers  of  daylight 
into  the  twilight  green,  the  purple  light  of  reflected 
sunset  and  finally  the  dark  blue  of  night. 

Light  blue  is  the  best  color  for  moonlight  with  all 
its  charms  of  sentiment.  It  has  enough  of  the  blue  to 
make  mystery  enchanting  and  enough  of  the  green  to 
make  it  restful.  Because  it  is  the  light  that  inspires 
romance,  the  love  scene  played  in  moonlight  is  most 
convincing  in  its  effect  upon  an  audience. 

Red  light,  usually  made  effective  through  a  fire- 
place or  red-shaded  lamps,  gives  a  luxurious,  sensuous 
impression — rather  Bohemian  and  unrestrained.  It 
is  the  light  that  inflames  physical  passions — anger, 
lust  and  revenge.  A  setting  wholly  in  red  light  should 
not  be  permitted  unless  the  scene  is  intensely  physical, 
and  even  then  the  presence  of  too  much  red  light  is 
apt  to  give  the  scene  a  sordidness  that  approaches  vul- 
garity. Rigbtly  used,  however,  red  light  may  be  very 
effective  by  way  of  contrast  and  warmth  of  situation. 

Orange  light  is  the  vulgar  light.  It  combines  the 
red  light  of  uncontrolled  nature  with  the  yellow  light 
of  brilliancy  which   seems  to  give  a  brazenness  and 


ACTING  19 

flamboyancy  to  physical  passions.  It  is  the  light  of 
the  barroom  and  the  brothel,  and  when  employed 
gives  a  characteristically  uncultured  and  lawless  at- 
mosphere to  the  scene. 

All  these  various  effects  are  accomplished  through 
footlights,  overhead  lights,  floods,  bunch-lights  and 
spotlights  from  the  wings  or  back  of  the  theater. 
!Many  modern  theaters  are  trying  to  do  away  with 
footlights  altogether,  since  they  make  a  rather  unnat- 
ural light  wdiich  proceeds  from  below  upward  and 
gives  unnatural  shadows  to  the  face,  if  the  actor  is  too 
near  them.  Their  original  usefulness  lay  in  dispelling 
all  shadows,  so  that  the  artificial  shadows  made  by 
dark  grease  paint  to  represent  wrinkles  together  with 
light  colored  paint  for  the  high  lights  would  have  the 
same  effect  from  all  points  of  the  stage.  These  lights, 
balanced  by  overhead  and  wing  lights,  gave  a  greater 
illusion  to  the  painted  scenery  and  did  away  with 
shadows  cast  by  the  actors  in  walking  about  the  stage. 
By  the  skilful  use  of  overhead,  wing  and  tormentor 
lights,  many  up-to-date  theaters  are  successfully  light- 
ing their  stages  and  at  the  same  time  doing  away  with 
the  unsatisfactory  footlights.  The  spotlight  from  the 
rear,  or  from  overhead  at  the  side  when  focussed  in  a 
flood  covering  the  whole  stage  is  the  best  effect  for 
moonlight.  It  is  well  to  say  right  here  that  a  spotlight 
from  the  rear  of  the  building  should  never  be  focussed 
on  any  one  of  the  characters  in  an  ordinary  play.  It 
is  unreal  and  inconsistent  with  material  laws  to  have 
any  person  in  a  scene  surrounded  by  a  halo  of  light 
while  she  pathciically  rocks  the  little  orphan  to  sleep 


20  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

or  says  her  prayers  by  the  little  white  iron  bed !  The 
focussed  spotlight  is  for  musical  comedy  or  fancy 
plays  and  should  not  be  employed  in  the  legitimate 
drama. 

It  is  the  director's  business  further  to  see  that  the 
operators  of  the  stage  effects  should  know  their  busi- 
ness cues  and  work  simultaneously  with  the  actor's 
lines  and  business.  It  is  discouraging  for  the  actor 
to  walk  up  to  a  table  and  blow  out  a  couple  of  candles, 
saying  as  he  does  so,  *'Out  goes  the  light!"  and  then 
be  obliged  to  walk  half-way  to  his  exit  before  the 
stage  hand  gets  around  to  dim  the  lights.  Every  ef- 
fect should  be  exactly  on  time ;  the  bell  should  ring  at 
the  proper  instant,  the  lights  dim  or  go  out  at  the 
appointed  cue  and  the  thunder  crash  in  its  turn.  An 
instant's  delay  causes  the  audience  to  lose  its  hold  on 
the  spell  of  the  scene.  The  director  must  impress 
these  facts  on  the  minds  of  his  assistants  and  then  see 
that  the  business  is  rehearsed  until  it  is  right. 
(y.)  Concerning  Make-up  and  Costumes.  The  direct- 
or should  superintend  the  make-up  and  costuming  of 
the  characters  for  the  production.  Granted  that  the 
student  may  have  had  a  thorough  course  in  the  theory 
and  practice  of  make-up,  it  is  best  for  the  director  to 
assure  himself  that  all  make-up  and  costumes  are  con- 
sistent with  the  age,  complexion,  nationality,  position 
and  condition  of  environment  of  the  character  to  be 
represented.  The  judgment  of  beginners  and  even  of 
some  professionals  can  not  be  trusted  always  to  be 
sound  in  deciding  what  is  the  proper  make-up  and 
dress  for  certain  occasions.    The  young  women  of  the 


ACTING  21 

cast  invariably  want  to  look  pretty  whether  their 
character  is  supposed  to  be  so  or  not,  and  the  director 
has  to  be  constantly  alert  or  in  some  dark  hour  he  will 
observe  what  is  intended  to  be  a  homely  old  maid, 
stalk  on  the  stage  in  the  gorgeous  make-up  and  cos- 
tume of  an  eighteen-year-old  debutante! 

Before  proceeding  to  the  next  topic  concerning  gen- 
eral stage  business,  it  may  be  well  briefly  to  review 
the  actor's  situation  as  he  steps  upon  the  stage  in  ap- 
propriate costume  and  make-up,  amid  scenery  repre- 
senting as  realistically  as  possible  the  condition, 
season  and  location  in  which  he  is  to  speak  his  lines. 
He  must  assume  the  voice,  bearing  and  eccentricity,  if 
any,  of  the  character  he  portrays.  Everything  that  is 
to  be  handled,  such  as  dishes,  food,  books,  papers,  let- 
ters, etc.,  must  be  there  in  its  proper  place.  The 
scene,  if  an  interior,  represents  a  room  enclosed  by 
three  walls.  The  fourth  wall  is  transparent  through 
which  the  audience  is  permitted  to  see  and  hear  what 
is  going  on.  In  this  setting  the  actor  walks,  runs,  sits, 
reclines,  kneels,  plays  the  piano  and  in  fact  does  with 
an  exactness  and  precision  the  hundred  and  one  little 
acts  that  would  be  observed  if,  instead  of  a  stage,  it 
were  a  real  private  room  and  the  actor  in  a  real  situa- 
tion. While  these  little  things  are  done  apparently  in 
the  same  way,  there  is  still  a  big  difference  between 
this  and  what  it  would  be  in  real  life.  The  accidentals 
and  the  unobservable  details  are  left  out  and  only  the 
essentials  acted.  In  real  life  the  words  spoken,  the 
little  movements,  the  exits,  the  entrances,  together 
with  a  multitude  of  unrelated  acts  and  speeches,  are 


22  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

spontaneous  and  unforeseen  in  any  arranged  space  of 
time.  On  the  stage  the  actor  knows  in  advance  every- 
thing he  has  to  do  and  say,  and  it  is  his  art  to  do  it 
as  if  it  were  spontaneous,  and  as  unconcernedly  as  if 
he  were  not  being  watched  by  three  thousand  pairs  of 
eyes.  Art  enters  into  the  writing  of  the  play  when 
the  author  so  skilfully  connects  dialogue  and  situation 
with  essential  actions  that  gaps  in  time  are  bridged 
and  the  w^hole  story  gives  the  impression  of  detail  and 
completion. 

In  producing  the  play  all  the  actors  must  lend  to 
the  same  effect  and  keep  consistent  with  the  author's 
purpose. 


CHAPTER  III 
THE  PLAY    (Continued) 

Technique  of  Presentation  (continued). — (8) 
General  Stage  Business.  Stage  business  refers  to  the 
action  accompanying  the  speaking  of  Hues ;  the  walk- 
ing and  moving  about  stage ;  the  handUng  of  proper- 
ties, furniture  or  other  characters  while  in  view  of  the 
audience,  and  the  action  when  silent  or  in  pantomimic 
conversation  with  others.  General  stage  business 
means  the  larger  moves  that  must  be  accomplished  in 
common  with  the  others  upon  the  stage.  Detailed 
stage  business  refers  to  the  individual  actions  not 
especially  in  common  with  the  others. 

Naturally  the  first  care  of  the  director  is  to  see  that 
the  entrances  are  made  effectively.  A  poor  entrance 
often  destroys  the  spirit  of  the  whole  scene.  Even  an 
unimportant  character  must  take  pains  to  enter  well, 
for  a  misstep  or  an  awkward  move  may  detract  from 
the  attention  that  should  be  given  to  others  upon  the 
stage.  Of  course,  the  situation  and  type  of  character 
represented  will  vary  the  manner  of  entrance  but  there 
are  general  rules  to  observe  which  affect  any  kind  of 
an  entrance.  Even  if  a  character  is  supposed  to  stub 
his  toe  on  the  threshold,  he  must  do  it  artistically.  All 
entrances  must  be  "on  the  cue"  and  must  not  show 
hesitancy  or  wavering  between  an  impulse  to  step  in 
and  an  impulse  to  wait  an  instant.     The  actor  must 

23 


24  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

not  linger  in  sight  of  the  audience,  waiting  for  his  cue. 
He  must  be  just  out  of  sight,  ready  to  step  in  sight  the 
moment  his  cue  is  given.  All  entrances  should  be 
purposeful.  Even  though  the  character  is  supposed  to 
enter  aimlessly,  the  actor  must  be  purposeful  in  the 
aimlessness.  In  other  words,  the  actor  himself  must 
be  on  the  alert  at  his  entrance  whatever  the  character 
he  represents.  There  must  be  purpose  and  precision 
in  every  move.  A  small  man  may  make  just  as  effec- 
tive an  entrance  as  a  large  man.  He  must  never  be 
conscious  of  disadvantage  because  of  his  stature.  If 
he  holds  up  his  chest  and  steps  firmly  with  head  erect, 
the  audience  will  never  think  of  him  as  being  short. 
The  whole  secret  of  effective  entrance  lies  in  the  fact 
that  the  actor  must  know  exactly  how  and  when  he  is 
to  enter  and  be  conscious  of  it  at  the  time.  In  his 
previous  action  he  may  have  so  registered  his  emotions 
and  vocal  changes  that  he  is  no  longer  conscious  of 
them,  but  he  must  akvays  be  conscious  of  his  entrances. 
They  are  too  important  to  be  entrusted  to  habit,  for 
the  actor  giving  the  cue  may  have  varied  the  tempo 
or  the  action  accompanying  his  speech  so  that  the  situ- 
ation is  changed  ever  so  slightly.  If  so,  the  alert  actor 
waiting  the  cue  will  adjust  his  entrance  accordingly, 
but  if  he  has  merely  registered  the  habit  of  this  par- 
ticular entrance,  he  may  make  an  error.  Individual 
emotions  and  actions,  and  actions  that  have  no  imme- 
diate relation  to  the  other  characters  may  be  and  ought 
to  be  registered  by  thorough  practice  until  the  whole 
expression  becomes  subconscious,  but  in  all  cases 
where   careful   "team-work"   is   necessarv   alert   con- 


ACTING  25 

sciousness  of  expression  is  important.  This  may  not 
apply  to  every  case  of  professional  acting,  but  it  surely 
applies  to  beginners.  Much  of  a  director's  trouble  in 
the  beginning  has  to  do  with  the  timing  of  entrances 
and  exits. 

It  may  seem  at  first  that  the  exit  is  less  important 
than  the  entrance,  but  this  is  not  true.  The  actor  must 
study  to  make  an  effective  exit  just  as  he  studies  his 
entrances.  There  are  added  problems  in  making  an 
exit  which  do  not  arise  in  making  an  entrance.  For 
instance,  an  actor  often  must  make  an  exit  while  he  is 
speaking  to  some  one  in  the  opposite  direction  from 
the  door.  He  must  judge  the  distance  and  the  exact 
location  of  the  door  while  apparently  giving  his  en- 
tire attention  to  his  lines  and  particular  business.  If 
he  miscalculates  and  finds  himself  about  to  walk  into 
a  mirror  or  through  a  window  it  is  embarrassing  and 
may  spoil  a  scene.  A  purposeful  exit  is  as  important 
as  a  purposeful  entrance,  in  fact,  the  impression  one 
leaves  behind  is  often  more  important  than  the  im- 
pression one  makes  at  the  beginning.  Of  course,  there 
are  accidents  which  may  happen  at  any  time,  but  the 
audience  is  quick  to  detect  an  accident  due  to  mere 
carelessness.  It  is  also  as  quick  to  notice  presence  of 
mind  on  the  part  of  an  actor  in  averting  disaster.  The 
following  illustration  is  an  admirable  example  of  the 
latter  case. 

A  popular  actress  had  been  rehearsing  a  scene  for 
some  time  in  which  she  was  to  make  an  exit  at  the 
door  upper  left.  On  the  evening  of  the  performance 
a  clumsy  stage  mechanic  set  a  window  in  place  of  the 


26  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

door.  Unfortunately  the  director  did  not  notice  the 
mistake,  so  when  the  actress  entered  from  the  right 
she  made  her  way  to  the  occupant  of  the  room  and 
keeping  her  eyes  on  him  while  speaking,  walked 
diagonally  up  stage  toward  the  door,  as  she  supposed. 
The  action  was  such  that  she  was  unable  to  take  her 
eyes  from  her  companion  until  about  to  step  out  the 
door.  She  had  gauged  the  distance  and  i)osition  cor- 
rectly, and  as  she  turned  to  sweep  magnificently  out 
the  door  she  discovered  instead  a  window  about  two 
feet  above  the  floor.  It  happened  to  be  an  open  win- 
dow so,  without  a  moment's  hesitation,  as  gracefully 
as  possible  she  stepped  over  the  sill,  saying  as  she  did 
so,  "I'll  go  out  by  way  of  the  garden."  Her  presence 
of  mind  and  the  open  window  saved  the  situation. 
Of  course,  the  audience  knew  it  was  a  mistake,  but 
the  young  woman's  alertness  and  resource  in  the 
emergency  was  so  thoroughly  appreciated  that  the 
scene  was  not  at  all  affected  and  the  mistake  in  a  few 
minutes  was  forgotten  by  every  one  except  the  actress 
herself — and  incidentally  the  clumsy  stage  hand. 

One  of  the  most  important  pieces  of  general  stage 
business  is  what  is  termed  "crossing."  Prompt  books 
are  full  of  directions  marked  "X"  to  indicate  the  point 
in  the  dialogue  where  the  actor  is  to  cross  from  one 
position  to  another.  "X — right"  or  "X — left"  directs 
the  actor  to  move  to  the  right  or  to  the  left  of  the 
stage,  but  these  comments  do  not  aid  the  director  in 
determining  just  how  far  to  the  right  or  left  or  in 
what  particular  direction,  up  stage  or  down  stage,  is 
meant.     It  is  just  as  well  that  they  do  not,   for  the 


ACTING  27 

director  must  learn  to  be  independent  and  use  his  own 
judgment.  The  director  who  is  a  slave  to  the  printed 
prompt  book  is  lost!  He  must  make  his  own  pictures 
and  plan  his  own  directions  for  his  individual  inter- 
pretation of  the  play.  He  must  be  his  own  judge  of 
how  far  and  just  at  what  point  his  actors  must  make 
these  crosses.  The  reason  for  these  movements  is  to 
avoid  conventionality  and  stiffness  which  would  result 
from  actors  speaking  too  long  a  time  from  the  same 
position.  The  crosses  give  life  and  reality  to  the  con- 
versations. Detail  business  may  be  left  until  later  re- 
hearsals, but  these  general  moves  and  crosses  arc 
imperative  at  the  very  first,  and  it  is  absolutely  essen- 
tial to  the  success  of  the  play  that  the  lines  or  business 
on  which  every  cross  is  to  be  made  should  be  system- 
atically planned  by  the  director  before  meeting  his  cast 
for  the  first  rehearsal. 

Moves  are  not  properly  called  "crosses"  unless  the 
actor  is  to  pass  the  center  of  the  stage  in  going  from 
one  side  to  the  other  or  unless  he  crosses  in  front  of 
another  actor,  but  the  term  is  loosely  used  to  indicate 
any  movement  in  walking  from  any  part  of  the  stage 
to  another.  Actors  are  directed  to  cross  up  right  or 
down  left  or  right  center  or  left  center,  indicating  ap- 
proximately the  position  they  are  to  establish  during 
a  certain  speech  or  piece  of  business,  and  it  is  for  the 
director  to  determine  just  where  the  exact  position  is. 
The  author  of  the  play  may  have  instructed  the  actor 
to  sit  by  the  fireplace,  but  if  the  director  says  ''stand 
by  the  victrola"  the  wise  actor  will  not  have  to  be  told 
a  second  time. 


28  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

Much  could  be  said  about  the  different  kinds  of 
crosses,  but  it  is  only  necessary  here  to  give  a  general 
caution  or  two.  Care  must  be  taken  that  no  cross  is 
made  in  front  of  an  actor  who  is  speaking  at  that 
moment.  The  character  speaking  may  cross  in  front 
of  the  silent  actor,  however.  When  one  character  has 
passed  in  front  of  another,  the  other  should  ''take 
stage,"  or  move  slightly  in  the  opposite  direction  to 
give  balance  to  the  positions.  This  must  be  done  un- 
ostentatiously so  that  the  audience  will  not  be  conscious 
of  the  movement. 

One  of  the  difficulties  arising  from  the  crosses  is 
the  tendency  of  the  beginner  to  fix  his  eye  on  the  spot 
he  is  to  occupy  and  then  make  a  dive  for  it  the  mo- 
ment his  cue  comes.  Another  tendency  is  to  back  up 
to  the  place  if  he  didn't  happen  to  hit  it  the  first  time 
he  made  the  plunge.  The  director  must  impress  upon 
the  student  the  necessity  of  practising  until  he  walks 
easily  and  naturally  to  the  spot  in  accordance  with 
what  seems  to  be  a  normal  and  spontaneous  impulse 
to  move.  In  crossing  up  stage  some  beginners  are 
under  the  impression  that  it  is  wrong  to  turn  the  back 
upon  the  audience  so  they  walk  backward  or  sidewise 
and  even  back  out  of  an  exit.  Others  think  they  must 
move  in  straight  lines  across  the  floor  whether  there 
happens  to  be  furniture  in  the  path  or  not.  Common 
sense  is  the  safest  guide  for  any  director  in  handling 
these  problems.  Any  move  that  looks  awkward  in  real 
life  will  look  awkward  on  the  stage.  An  unnatural 
turn  or  twist  of  the  body  will  look  unnatural  on  the 
stage.     The  director  must  drill  and  drill  until  every 


ACTING  29 

move  appears  spontaneous  and  unstudied.  There  are 
rules  and  rules  given  by  various  stage  manuals,  such 
as  "Always  stand  with  the  up-stage  foot  slightly  in 
advance  of  the  other'*  or  "Never  speak  up  stage  with 
the  back  turned  squarely  toward  the  audience,"  but 
these  rules  have  so  many  exceptions  that  it  is  scarcely 
worth  while  to  make  the  rules.  It  is,  of  course,  best 
to  keep  the  face  toward  the  audience  whenever  it  does 
not  interfere  with  the  making  of  a  consistent  stage  pic- 
ture. The  director  must  always  watch  for  stage  bal- 
ance, life  and  spontaneity  of  movement,  and  variety 
in  grouping. 

In  watching  the  conversation  between  two  people, 
there  are  two  things  which  the  director  must  observe ; 
the  attitude  of  the  speaker  and  that  of  the  listener. 
The  speaker  must  realize  that  he  is  not  addressing  an 
audience,  but  that  he  is  talking  to  somebody  about 
something.  In  other  words,  he  must  understand  the 
meaning  of  his  lines  and  at  the  same  time  feel  an  in- 
terest in  their  effect  upon  his  hearer.  The  listener, 
on  the  other  hand,  must  not  appear  as  if  he  were  wait- 
ing for  a  cue.  He  must  be  taught  how  to  listen  and 
show  response  in  his  glance,  in  the  movement  of  his 
hands  or  in  other  bodily  expression.  He  must  be 
ready  to  interrupt  on  the  instant  of  his  cue  and  yet 
appear  as  if  the  interruption  were  spontaneous.  He 
must  be  able  to  listen  according  to  the  mood  of  the 
character  he  is  representing  and  must  show  the  atti- 
tude in  his  whole  bodily  expression.  For  beginners 
the  listening  part  is  much  more  difficult  than  the 
speaking  part.     It  is  so  hard  for  them  to  understand 


30  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

that  it  is  just  as  important  to  keep  in  the  characteriza- 
tion while  not  speaking  as  while  speaking. 

In  general  conversation,  where  there  are  supposed 
to  be  several  people  talking  at  once,  the  center  of  at- 
tention shifts  alternately  from  one  group  or  couple  to 
another  group  as  the  conversation  becomes  audible. 
The  group  carrying  on  the  audible  conversation  of 
course  holds  the  center  of  attention,  but  the  other 
groups  must  continue  in  pantomimic  conversation  and 
not  stand,  like  clothing-store  models,  immovable  and 
staring,  waiting  for  the  cue  to  the  audible  speech.  The 
attitude  of  listening  here  is  just  as  important  for  the 
pantomimic  conversation  as  it  is  for  those  who  are  the 
center  of  attention  in  audible  speech.  If  the  couples 
or  groups  are  standing,  they  should  shift  and  change 
formations,  in  order  to  give  the  appearance  of  a  real 
formal  gathering,  moving  about  and  exchanging 
conversations. 

When  one  person  is  addressing  the  others  formally, 
it  is  best  for  the  speaker  to  remain  on  one  side  and  a 
little  up  stage  while  his  little  audience  is  grouped  on 
the  other  side  and  down  stage  unless  the  effect  of  the 
speech  upon  the  listeners  is  important  rather  than  the 
action  of  the  speaker  himself.  When  one  is  speaking 
informally  to  the  others  he  may  be  seated  or  standing 
near  the  center  of  the  stage,  while  the  others,  listening, 
are  grouped  in  balanced  positions  about  the  stage.  If 
the  speech  is  animated  or  intense  while  the  speaker  is 
standing,  it  is  usually  best  for  him  to  maintain  the 
center  of  the  stage  as  nearly  as  possible,  while  the 
others  crowd  around  him  on  either  side  but  not  di- 


ACTING  31 

rectly  in  front  of  him.     The  important  address  should 
be  so  arranged  that  the  speaker  faces  the  audience. 

Business  at  the  dining  table  needs  a  word  of  explan- 
ation in  regard  to  the  seating  of  the  characters,  the 
handling  of  dishes  and  the  pantomime  of  eating.  The 
important  characters  should  be  seated  up  stage  and 
facing  the  audience  while  those  having  little  to  do  or 
say  in  the  scene  may  have  their  backs  to  the  audience. 
A  circular  table  is  better  than  a  square  one,  for  the 
space  nearest  the  audience  may  be  unoccupied  without 
giving  an  unnatural  look  to  the  situation.  Four  peo- 
ple seated  at  a  square  table  look  stiff  and  unnatural 
if  two  are  seated  at  the  back  and  one  at  each  end, 
leaving  the  side  toward  the  audience  empty.  This 
arrangement,  however,  is  sometimes  necessary  when 
the  scene  demands  an  old-fashioned  kitchen  table,  and 
the  leading  character's  action  is  such  that  no  one  can 
be  placed  between  him  and  the  audience.  It  is  impor- 
tant that  the  servants  in  a  dinner  scene  be  trained  to 
serve  and  accomplish  every  detail  of  their  business  on 
exact  cues  and  with  a  quietness  that  will  detract  noth- 
ing from  tlie  business  of  the  more  important  char- 
acters. If  the  servants  are  the  leading  characters,  of 
course  this  does  not  apply.  The  actor  at  the  table 
must  give  the  impression  of  eating,  drinking,  etc., 
while  carrying  on  his  part  in  the  conversation  either 
audibly  or  in  pantomime.  He  must  know  when  he  is 
to  stir  his  coffee,  when  to  put  in  the  sugar  or  cream 
and  on  what  line  to  do  any  of  the  significant  bits  of 
business.  Pie  should  never  really  eat  much  of  the 
food,   but  he   must   pantomime   so   that   the   audience 


32  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

thinks  he  is  actually  eating.  He  may  pantomime  chew- 
ing occasionally,  and  it  may  be  necessary  to  take  a 
small  portion  of  the  food,  but  in  most  cases  the  pan- 
tomime is  sufficient  and  the  actor  is  free  from  pos- 
sible accident,  such  as  having  something  in  his  mouth 
the  instant  he  should  be  speaking  clearly. 

Other  significant  business,  such  as  moving  furni- 
ture or  handling  chairs,  demands  the  attention  of  the 
director.  It  is  very  often  important  that  the  position 
of  a  chair  be  changed  in  the  middle  of  a  scene  for 
later  convenience  of  business.  The  director  should 
plan  in  advance  at  just  what  point  the  change  should 
be  made  and  who  should  make  it.  Care  must  be  taken 
that  the  action  does  not  look  foreseen  on  the  part  of 
the  actor.  Like  all  other  moves  it  must  appear  spon- 
taneous. If  the  business  looks  stilted,  it  is  the  duty 
of  the  director  to  rehearse  it  until  the  stiffness  is  over- 
come. A  lady  should  never  attempt  to  move  a  chair 
with  one  hand  and  even  a  gentleman  should  employ 
both  hands  whenever  possible.  It  takes  away  the  ap- 
pearance of  effort  and  helps  the  spontaneity  of  the 
scene. 

Writing  letters  while  dictating  their  contents  or 
while  taking  dictation  from  another  should  be  accom- 
plished by  the  rapid  pantomime  of  writing  across  the 
page  during  perceptible  pauses  in  the  dictation.  If  the 
person  writing  is  supposed  to  be  a  stenographer,  there 
need  be  no  pause  in  the  writing  or  the  dictation. 

In  reading  aloud  from  a  letter  or  a  newspaper  there 
should  be  a  significant  change  in  the  manner  of  utter- 
ance.    It  should  not  be  delivered  with  the  spontaneity 


ACTING  33 

of  impromptu  speech,  but  on  the  other  hand  should 
be  read  with  some  irregular  pauses  and  a  monotony 
of  pitch  and  color,  just  as  the  majority  of  untrained 
readers  read  from  the  printed  page.  It  is  a  good  plan 
to  have  the  matter  already  written  on  the  sheet  in 
order  to  assist  in  giving  the  mechanical  effect  of 
ordinary  reading,  but  it  is  not  altogether  safe  to  de- 
pend upon  its  being  written.  The  lines  should  have 
been  memorized  the  same  as  the  speeches  to  insure 
against  the  accidental  misplacing  of  the  right  sheet  on 
the  night  of  the  performance. 

Telephone  business  requires  the  speaker  to  reflect 
his  mood  as  he  listens  to  imaginary  replies,  or  talks 
into  the  instrument.  It  is  well  to  construct  mentally 
just  what  the  replies  are  to  be  so  that  the  response  in 
facial  expression  may  be  consistent  with  the  one-sided 
dialogue  and  so  that  sufficient  pauses  may  suggest  the 
speaker  at  the  other  end  of  the  line. 

Looking  out  the  window,  signaling,  calling  or  view- 
ing scenery  must  all  be  prompted  by  the  imagination 
of  the  actor  who  should  visualize  the  suggested  ob- 
jects of  his  action.  For  instance,  in  calling  out  of  a 
window  supposed  to  be  four  or  five  stories  from  the 
street,  the  speaker  must  actually  see  farther  down 
than  the  floor  of  the  stage  behind  the  scene  or  his 
voice  will  not  get  the  proper  suggestive  pitch  for  the 
distance  or  direction.  In  looking  at  an  imaginary 
sunset  (not  visible  to  the  audience)  through  a  window 
at  the  right  of  the  stage  and  near  the  front,  the  actor 
must  see  a  sunset  in  the  distance,  and  not  allow  his 
focus  to  stop  at  the  stage  mechanic  three  feet  away 


34  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

preparing  to  dim  the  lights.  He  must  see  beyond  the 
reality,  or  the  audience  will  not  fully  imagine  the 
sunset.  Of  course,  the  audience  can  not  actually  dis- 
cern the  focus  of  the  actor's  eyes,  but  the  sum  total  of 
his  attitude  will  either  make  or  spoil  the  effect,  and  if 
he  actually  imagines  a  sunset,  his  body  will  respond 
to  the  imagery  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  his  audience 
think  he  sees  it. 

Action  near  the  footlights  must  be  more  carefully 
worked  out  than  up-stage  business,  as  a  rule,  because 
it  is  more  conspicuous.  Up-stage  business,  however, 
when  especially  significant  must  be  made  conspicuous 
by  a  little  more  than  usual  ostentation  in  order  to 
draw  the  attention  habitually  directed  to  down-stage 
action. 

The  manner  of  falling,  rising,  reclining,  lifting, 
carrying,  kneeling,  sitting  and  ordinary  walking  are 
points  often  neglected,  but  which  are  of  such  great 
importance  in  themselves  and  are  so  easy  to  be  ac- 
quired that  no  director  can  afford  to  overlook  them. 
It  is  impossible  to  describe  satisfactorily  in  writing 
just  how  to  accomplish  these  important  movements, 
but  a  hint  or  suggestion  may  be  helpful  to  the  director 
who  has  not  had  the  opportunity  of  technical  instruc- 
tion. 

In  the  first  place  the  walk  of  an  actor  must  cor- 
respond to  the  nature  of  the  character  he  is  assuming. 
Let  him  observe  types  and  strive  to  imitate  the  walk. 
A  normal  walk  is  energetic  and  positive,  the  heels 
striking  the  floor  first  and  the  knee  straight  at  all 
times  until  the  moment  of  lifting  and  carrying  the  leg 


ACTING  35 

forward.  Any  bend  of  the  knee  after  the  foot  has 
been  ])lanted  gives  an  unstability  to  the  walk.  The 
chest  should  be  kept  up  and  the  back  of  the  neck 
pressed  against  an  imaginary  collar  button.  By  mas- 
tering this  erect  position  and  walk,  even  a  short  man 
may  appear  tall  and  commanding.  In  sitting  or  reclin- 
ing the  position  is  governed  normally  by  its  looks 
from  the  front  of  the  stage.  If  the  positions  are 
awkward  or  stiff,  the  director  should  keep  suggesting 
slightly  different  attitudes  until  the  desired  effect  is 
obtained — then  the  actor  is  told  to  remain  in  the  posi- 
tion until  he  "gets  the  feel  of  it."  Then  he  is  re- 
quested to  get  up,  walk  across  the  stage  and  back  and 
resume  the  position.  A  few  suggestions  and  a  few 
repetitions  of  the  correct  assuming  of  position  will  fix 
the  impression  in  the  motor  memory,  so  that  automatic- 
ally thereafter  the  student  will  drop  into  the  correct 
posture.  A  little  more  care  is  needed  in  coaching  the 
novice  to  fall  without  making  himself  ridiculous  or 
doing  bodily  harm  to  himself.  If  he  falls  and  appears 
to  pick  out  a  soft  spot  on  which  to  land  the  audience 
wdll  smile  at  his  amateurishness.  If  he  abandons  all 
care  for  himself  on  the  other  hand  or  falls  heavily,  be 
runs  a  risk  of  remaining  longer  in  the  pose  than  his 
part  in  the  play  requires — if  he  should  happen  to  hurt 
himself.  There  is  only  one  way  in  which  to  fall  so 
that  it  looks  real  to  the  audience,  and  at  the  same  time 
will  not  even  bruise  the  actor.  He  should  fall  straight 
downward,  i)eri)endicularly,  relaxing  tlie  knees  first 
and  allowing  the  calf  of  the  leg  to  receive  the  first 
shock  which   is   in  turn  distributed  to  the  thigh,   the 


36  ,         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

shoulders  and  the  head  as  the  waist  and  the  neck  in 
their  turn  relax.  The  head  receives  no  shock  at  all, 
but  the  combined  effect  is  a  complete  fall.  In  being 
struck  or  shot,  or  in  fainting,  this  same  method  is 
employed  most  impressively.  In  lifting  one  v^^ho  has 
fallen,  the  same  care  must  be  taken,  that  no  oppor- 
tunity for  laughter  may  be  given  the  audience.  Let 
us  assume  that  the  figure  is  lying  with  the  head 
toward  the  right  of  the  stage.  The  actor  who  is  to 
lift  it  kneels  on  the  left  knee  just  back  of  the  prostrate 
form,  and  with  the  right  hand  places  the  left  arm  of 
the  figure  on  its  breast,  grasping  with  the  left  the 
upper  arm  of  the  figure  and  giving  a  sharp  pull  up, 
at  the  same  time  placing  his  right  arm  around  the 
shoulder  of  the  now  upright  figure.  Then  with  the 
right  knee  at  the  back  of  the  figure  he  rises,  seemingly 
lifting  the  dead  weight.  The  relaxation  of  the  figure 
must  be  in  the  neck  and  waist  and  arms,  but  the 
weight  is  actually  sustained  on  the  bent  legs.  In 
carrying  the  dead  weight,  the  actor  should  put  one 
arm  of  the  figure  around  his  neck  and  appear  literally 
to  bear  the  weight  as  he  goes  off  the  stage.  It  is  bet- 
ter whenever  possible  to  have  one  or  two  people  assist 
in  carrying  the  apparently  unconscious  member  of  the 
cast  off  the  stage,  and  the  director  should  see  that 
the  extra  people  get  between  the  prostrate  figure  and 
the  audience  so  that  all  the  irregularities  of  the  exit 
may  be  covered. 

(p.)  Detailed  Business.  By  detailed  business  is 
meant  the  individual  business  of  one  actor  independ- 
ent of  the  others.    The  handling  of  individual  proper- 


ACTING  37 

ties  (hat,  coat,  gloves,  cane  or  umbrella),  the  smok- 
ing of  a  pipe,  cigar  or  cigarette ;  the  pouring  out  and 
drinking  of  beverages — all  have  their  particular  free- 
dom or  limitation  in  the  economy  of  acting. 

All  general  business  or  ''team-work"  among  the 
actors  has  to  be  exactly  timed  and  therefore  requires 
more  rehearsing  than  the  detailed  business  which  al- 
lows a  little  more  freedom  on  the  part  of  the  individual 
actor,  yet  even  in  this  freedom  there  are  some  limita- 
tions. All  individual  moves  must  be  consistent  with 
the  type  of  character  and  the  nature  of  the  dialogue, 
and  a  great  many  movements  must  be  as  accurately 
timed  as  the  general  business,  but  there  are  numberless 
little  actions  which  are  necessary  that  are  not  in  any 
way  connected  with  the  dialogue,  and  which  may  be 
accomplished  at  the  discretion  of  the  actor  if  he  is 
experienced.  The  beginner  had  best  confine  himself 
to  the  business  suggested  by  the  director,  until  he  is 
thrown  upon  his  own  resources.  However,  even  a 
beginner  may  be  permitted  to  knock  the  ashes  off  his 
cigar,  or  toy  with  a  knife  and  fork  at  the  table  without 
being  told  exactly  the  word  of  the  conversation  on 
which  to  act,  provided  such  action  does  not  disturb 
the  effect  of  the  dialogue  or  other  business.  It  is  well 
to  encourage  originality  on  the  part  of  the  students, 
but  when  there  is  a  tendency  to  create  business  just 
for  the  sake  of  being  original  and  calling  attention  to 
himself,  then  the  director  must  point  out  the  incon- 
sistency and  show  what  may  and  may  not  be  permitted. 
The  director  must  pay  great  attention  to  the  facial 
expression  and  gesture,  as  well  as  to  the  attitude  and 


38  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

general  bearing  of  the  actor.  After  the  general  busi- 
ness is  pretty  well  worked  out  and  the  detailed  business 
ready  to  be  suggested,  the  director  must  begin  system- 
atically to  drill  on  the  speaking  of  lines,  as  they  accom- 
pany the  business,  and  the  expression  of  the  mood  in 
face  and  gesture.  This  training  should  not  be  left 
until  the  last,  for  it  is  imperative  that  the  association 
of  actions  with  the  interpretation  of  the  lines  and  the 
bodily  expression  of  the  motion,  be  accomplished  as  an 
aid  to  perfect  memory  of  the  whole  work.  Any  ten- 
dency on  the  part  of  the  student  to  speak  with  his 
back  to  the  audience  except  when  speaking  up  stage 
should  be  corrected  at  the  beginning,  for  it  is  easier  to 
teach  him  when  he  may  talk  with  his  back  to  the  au- 
dience than  to  show  him  over  and  over  again  the 
countless  times  when  he  must  not.  There  is  one  diffi- 
culty, however,  which  arises  from  giving  the  student 
the  general  rule,  **not  to  turn  the  back  on  the  audience 
while  speaking."  He  often  takes  it  so  literally  that 
in  carrying  on  a  conversation  with  another  standing 
opposite  him,  he  will  stand  squarely  facing  the  au- 
dience and  talk  to  the  other  character  over  his 
shoulder,  after  the  manner  of  a  Sunday-School  dia- 
logue on  Children's  Day.  Usually  good  results  can 
be  obtained  by  telling  the  beginner  first  to  walk  up  to 
the  other  character  and  talk  to  him  just  as  if  they  had 
met  in  the  street.  Next,  he  should  walk  back  to  where 
he  was  originally  standing,  and  start  again  as  though 
he  were  going  to  repeat  the  performance,  but  as  soon 
as  he  has  turned,  the  director  should  tell  him  to  stop 
and  say  his  speech  from  that  position.     He  will  then 


ACTING  3Q 

be  in  the  most  natural  position  for  conversation  from 
these  two  points. 

(lo.)  ludh'idiial  License  in  Business.  The  director 
will  do  well  t©  remember  that  very  little  liberty  of 
subjective  pantomime  should  be  allowed  to  the  be- 
ginner, for  his  judgment  will  in  most  cases  be  very 
poor.  His  self-consciousness  will  prevent  spontaneity 
and  ease  of  movement  and  he  must  pay  so  much  atten- 
tion to  minute  instructions  concerning  general  and  de- 
tailed business  that  he  is  incapable  of  thinking  for 
himself.  He  must  even  be  told  repeatedly  the  same 
piece  of  business,  before  he  gets  it  associated  with  his 
line  and  mood,  so  it  is  better  not  to  expect  much 
freedom  on  his  part  at  first.  As  he  becomes  familiar 
with  his  lines  and  business  and  acquires  more  and 
more  confidence  in  himself,  he  may  be  told  to  work 
out  business  for  himself.  He  should  always  be  cau- 
tioned to  keep  his  individual  business  consistent  with 
the  situation  and  the  purpose  of  the  play. 

At  every  rehearsal,  the  business  should  be  repeated 
exactly  as  it  was  given  before.  No  variations  should 
go  uncensured  and  no  changes  with  business  be  made 
unless  the  student  is  told  of  the  change.  He  must  be 
told  to  watch  the  director  closely  while  a  piece  of 
business  is  being  given  for  his  imitation. 
(Ji.)  Silent  Acting.  Probably  the  most  difficult 
thing  for  the  amateur  to  learn  is  the  silent  acting.  He 
may  be  talented,  and  he  may  be  a  real  genius  when  it 
comes  to  acting  while  speaking  lines,  but  when  sonic 
one  else  is  doing  the  talking,  he  seems  to  lose  interest 
in  the  affair.     Sometimes  he  goes  to  the  other  extreme 


40  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

and  introduces  some  original  silent  acting  that  will 
take  the  attention  from  the  others  to  whom  the  atten- 
tion rightly  belongs.  It  is  for  the  director  to  see 
that  only  such  action  as  he  suggests,  is  introduced. 

There  are  two  distinct  types  of  silent  acting,  which 
may  be  called  respectively — unobtrusive  and  aggres- 
sive. 

(a.)  Unobtrusive  Silent  Acting.  Unobtrusive  si- 
lent acting  is  the  acting  of  the  members  of  the  cast 
who  are  in  the  scene  but  for  the  time  being  are  not  an 
integral  part  of  it.  The  maid  or  the  butler,  dusting  or 
cleaning  off  the  table  while  a  conversation  is  going  on 
between  two  of  the  chief  characters,  or  the  pantomimic 
conversation  and  action  of  a  company  of  people  at  a 
reception  while  other  members  of  the  cast  are  holding 
the  center  of  attention,  are  good  examples  of  what 
should  be  unobtrusive  silent  acting.  One  person 
reading  a  newspaper  silently  while  others  converse  is 
another  example.  In  such  a  situation,  the  amateur  is 
prone  to  relax  and  sit  like  so  much  furniture,  until  his 
cue  comes,  whereupon  he  is  instantly  galvanized  into 
the  most  active  participation.  The  student  must  learn 
to  act  unobtrusively.  He  must  be  alive  to  the  situa- 
tion every  instant,  although  he  may  be  required  to  sit 
up  stage  with  his  back  to  the  audience  for  half  the 
scene  or  more.  While  the  attention  of  the  audience 
must  not  be  draivti  to  him,  yet  it  will  unconsciously 
rest  on  him  every  once  in  a  while  and  it  is  quick  to 
distinguish  inertness  or  lack  of  participation  even  in 
a  silent  and  apparently  unmovable  pose.  This  type  of 
silent  acting  is  more  difficult  to  develop  than  the  ag- 


ACTING  41 

gressive  type,  for  the  amateur  either  fails  to  appre- 
ciate the  importance  of  keeping  his  character  whether 
he  is  noticed  or  not,  or  else  he  thinks  his  acting  must 
constantly  call  attention  to  himself.  It  is  the  direc- 
tor's business  to  watch  minutely  the  pose,  action  and 
facial  expression  of  the  silent  actor, 
(b.)  Aggressive  Silent  Acting.  Aggressive  si- 
lent acting  is  necessarily  more  detailed  and  accurate, 
for  it  includes  all  the  movements,  facial  expression  and 
subjective  action  of  the  silent  actor  when  he  is  the 
center  of  attention  or  in  direct  association  with  the 
center  of  attention.  It  is  the  action  performed 
while  alone  in  the  scene,  or  while  with  another  who 
is  at  the  moment  doing  the  talking.  It  includes  the 
attitude,  facial  expression  and  subjective  gesture  of 
the  actor  while  listening  intently  to  another  in  an 
active  part  of  the  scene. 

This  aggressive  silent  acting  differs  from  the  un- 
obtrusive type  in  that  it  is  being  constantly  under  ob- 
servation and  has  to  do  with  the  vital  parts  of  the 
scene,  while  the  other  is  merely  the  necessary  action 
to  make  the  scene  live  as  a  unit  and  not  look  stiff  or 
unreal.  The  aggressive  type  needs  perfect  timing  to 
cues,  while  the  other  need  not  be  so  accurate. 
(12.)  The  Speaking  of  Lines.  Perhaps  one  of  the 
most  noticeable  differences  between  the  work  of  recog- 
nized artists  and  that  of  second-rate  players,  is  in  the 
speaking  of  lines.  College  amateurs  with  no  experi- 
ence whatever,  but  with  careful  drilling  by  a  competent 
director,  are  noticeably  better  in  their  reading  of  the 
lines,  than  the  great  majority  of  small  company  pro- 


42  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

fessionals.  The  competent  college  or  high-scliool  di- 
rector is  careful  to  analyze  the  thought  of  the  lines  and 
see  that  proper  emphasis  is  placed,  while  the  average 
second-rate  professional  director  is  incapable  c>f 
thought  discrimination,  although  he  may  be  endowed 
with  emotional  ability  and  originality  in  suggesting 
stage  business. 

A  college  or  high-school  student  who  has  brains 
enough  to  keep  up  with  his  classes,  is  better  material 
to  work  on  than  the  average  second-class  professional 
when  it  comes  to  teaching  the  speaking  of  lines.  The 
beginner,  therefore,  should  be  told  at  the  outset  that 
he  is  not  regarded  as  an  amateur  in  reading  lines,  but 
that  on  the  other  hand  he  is  already  supposed  to  be 
more  capable  than  the  average  stage  professional.  In 
action,  however,  he  must  understand  that  he  is  as  a 
child  and  must  be  taught  from  the  beginning.  Keep 
the  amateur  idea  away  from  the  beginner.  Call  him 
a  "beginner"  but  not  an  ''amateur."  The  latter  word 
has  a  tendency  to  discourage  him  at  the  very  start 
and  gives  excuse  for  more  mistakes  than  are  neces- 
sary. Why  should  college  directors  of  theatricals  be 
content  to  have  their  efforts  called  "amateur,"  when 
so  much  worse  acting  is  seen  about  the  country,  in  the 
name  of  professional  acting?  The  college  director  be- 
Httles  himself  and  the  cause  of  education  when  he 
admits  that  his  instruction  can  only  produce  amateur 
results  alongside  an  untutored,  unlettered  garage 
assistant  who  suddenly  finds  himself  endowed  by  na- 
ture to  personate  a  farmer  and  by  proper  business 
foresight  is  able  to  put  himself  at  the  head  of  a  stock 


ACTING  43 

company  which  tours  the  small  towns  and  even  the 
cities  as  a  professional  organization. 

The  director  should  see  to  it  that  his  students  think 
well  of  themselves  and  their  ability,  as  long  as  they  are 
willing  to  be  taught.  In  the  first  reading  rehearsal 
he  should  make  clear  to  the  cast  that  he  expects  per- 
fect attention  and  obedience  to  suggestions,  as  well  as 
confidence  in  their  own  ability  to  carry  the  suggestions 
out.  Then,  in  the  reading  of  the  lines,  careful  atten- 
tion should  be  given  to  the  exact  meaning,  and  errors 
in  pronunciation  and  emphasis  corrected.  Monotony 
and  conventionality  of  reading  may  be  prevented  at 
the  first  rehearsal  so  that  no  bad  habits  of  utterance 
are  established.  Every  beginner  in  acting  should  have 
had  a  preliminary  course  in  interpretation  of  the 
printed  page,  and  a  course  in  voice  training.  If  the 
student  has  not  had  these  courses,  the  director  will 
have  a  more  difficult  task,  and  he  must  keep  vigilant 
at  all  times  for  mistakes  in  interpretation. 

It  is  also  well  at  the  outset  to  correct  if  possible,  all 
those  provincial  atrocities  of  speech  recognized  in  the 
Bostonian  attempt  to  effect  English  pronunciation  of 
the  final  "r,"  or  the  New  Yorker's  less  successful  imita- 
tion which  reaches  its  greatest  absurdity  in  the  Bow- 
ery newsboy's  *Thi(e)ty-thi(e)d  Street."  Correct 
English  should  be  substituted  for  all  dialogue  except 
eccentric  or  special  provincial  characterizations. 
"Keep  the  speech  as  real  as  the  acting"  is  a  good  rule. 

Usuall}'  beginners  either  address  themselves  directly 
to  the  audience  or  ignore  it  entirely  in  si)eaking  the 
lines.     If  they  have  been  in  plays  before,   they  may 


44  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

have  been  told  not  to  talk  up  stage  or  turn  their  l^acks 
to  the  audience.  If  this  arbitrary  rule  has  been  given 
and  taken  literally,  the  student  is  apt  to  go  to  the 
other  extreme  and,  facing  the  audience  squarely,  ad- 
dress the  audience  as  if  talking  to  it  instead  of  to  him- 
self or  the  others  in  the  scene.  Rather  than  talk  up 
stage  he  will  often  back  up  three  or  four  feet  in  order 
to  enable  him  to  be  on  a  parallel  line  with  the  one 
he  is  talking  to.  This,  of  course,  is  ridiculous,  and  the 
beginner  should  be  made  to  understand  that  it  is  per- 
fectly proper  to  talk  up  stage  whenever  the  positions 
of  the  actors  are  so  arranged  that  the  down-stage 
actor  must  speak  attentively  to  the  up-stage  actor.  A 
good  director,  however,  will  plan  the  general  stage 
movements  so  that  on  all  possible  occasions  the  one 
speaking  shall  have  either  a  parallel  or  up~stage  rela- 
tionship to  the  other,  but  there  are  hundreds  of  situa- 
tion where  the  opposite  position  is  inevitable.  Besides, 
to  relieve  the  monotony  and  stiffness  of  positions,  and 
in  making  the  scene  realistic,  it  is  often  advisable  to 
speak  deliberately  up  stage.  Sometimes  the  expression 
of  one's  back  in  speaking  is  more  important  than  the 
expression  of  the  face  and  the  director  deliberately 
arranges  the  positions  to  give  this  opportunity.  In 
speaking  to  one  about  to  leave  at  a  back  exit,  it  is  more 
often  than  not  necessary  to  speak  up  stage. 

There  are  a  few  situations  w^here  one  must  not  speak 
up  stage.  For  instance  in  speaking  aside,  or  in  a 
soliloquy  and  where  facial  expression  is  of  primary 
importance,  the  position  must  be  planned  so  as  to 
bring  the  speaker  with  face  toward  the  audience. 


ACTING  45 

When  speaking  off  stage,  if  the  cliaracter  is  sup- 
posed to  be  at  a  distance  or  behind  closed  doors,  the 
iUnsion  is  made  perfect  by  muffling  the  mouth  in  the 
sleeve  of  the  coat.  If  nearer  at  hand  the  effect  is  pro- 
duced by  speaking  back  in  the  throat  and  gradually 
increasing  the  volume,  pushing  forward  the  placement 
of  the  tone  at  the  same  time  until  the  moment  of  en- 
trance when  the  voice  will  have  its  full  resonance. 
(13.)  Asides.  One  of  the  most  important  phases  of 
dramatic  dialogue  is  the  speaking  of  ''asides."  There 
are  several  forms  of  the  aside  each  of  which  requires 
slightly  different  treatment.  First  among  these  forms 
is  the  quickly  interjected  phrase  or  word  meant  to  con- 
vey the  thought  which  is  not  understood  to  be  spoken 
aloud.  For  instance,  a  character  steps  upon  the  stage 
and  begins  conversation  with  another  character.  Dur- 
ing this  conversation,  his  thoughts  are  such  that  he 
doesn't  want  his  companions  to  perceive.  For  the 
sake  of  the  audience,  however,  he  must  express  them 
some  way,  so  the  stage  device  of  the  aside  is  em- 
ployed. Turning  slightly  away  from  his  companion 
and  in  a  different  tone  or  pitch  or  degree  of  force  from 
this  conversation,  he  speaks  his  thought,  not  directly 
at  the  audience  as  if  he  were  addressing  them,  but  per- 
mitting them  to  hear  or  to  know  exactly  what  he  is 
thinking  without  realizing  that  he  has  actually  spoken.  ^ 
This  aside  is  employed  only  when  it  is  not  possible  to 
give  the  thought  without  the  actual  words.  A  great 
deal  can  be  done  by  gesture,  facial  expression  and 
attitude,  but  often  the  exact  thought  must  be  known 
bv  the  audience  in  order  to  make  clear  certain  features    ; 


46  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

of  the  situation.  For  example,  in  A  Happy  Pair  when 
the  husband  is  endeavoring  to  play  upon  the  wife's 
emotional  nature,  he  heaves  a  big  sigh,  "Ah-h,"  and 
then  with  a  quick  aside  gives  the  impression  that  he  is 
thinking  "Nothing  like  a  sigh  to  begin  with."  He 
must  actually  say  this  aloud,  but  the  audience  must 
understand  that  it  is  only  the  expression  of  what  in 
reality  is  merely  an  unexpressed  thought.  If  he  de- 
livers it  as  though  it  were  actually  aloud,  the  audience 
will  wonder  why  the  wife  does  not  hear  it  and  be 
indignant.  The  director  must  exercise  great  care  in 
getting  the  right  effect  for  asides,  or  many  scenes  will 
be  ruined. 

A  second  form  of  the  aside  is  seen  in  the  attempt 
of  one  character  to  speak  to  another  without  letting 
others  on  the  stage  hear.  It  is  so  different  from  the 
other  form  that  special  attention  must  be  given  to  it. 
This  form  is  frankly  aloud,  but  with  a  subdued  effect 
to  give  the  impression  of  being  only  loud  enough  for 
one  close  by  to  hear  and  not  loud  enough  for  the 
others.  The  pantomime  and  vocal  expression  are  dif- 
ferent. Properly  this  should  not  be  called  an  ''aside" 
but  rather  a  ''stage  whisper,"  The  first  form  of  the 
aside  should  not  be  given  in  a  stage  whisper  for  it  is 
not  a  whisper.  It  is  a  complete  thought  supposed  to 
be  unexpressed,  but  actually  told  to  the  audience  im- 
personally. Therefore  it  should  not  suggest  a  w^hisper, 
but  rather,  by  accompanying  action,  should  in  the 
simplest  way  convey  the  thought  and  the  mood  of  the 
moment.  The  "aside  to  another,"  however,  should 
suggest  a  whisper,  and  the  best  method  of  doing  this 


ACTING  47 

is  frankly  lowering  the  voice  in  pitch  and  volume,  and 
introducing  a  good  deal  of  hrealh  in  the  tone,  at  the 
same  time  using  significant  pantomhne  to  show  se- 
crecy. Usually  the  eyes  are  turned  slightly  away  from 
the  one  to  wdiom  the  aside  is  given  and  the  whole  body 
harmonizes  with  the  expression  of  secrecy. 

Another  form  of  the  aside  is  the  meditation  apart 
from  the  others  on  the  stage.  This  is  usually  a  longer 
speech  and  is  given  in  a  reflective  mood  accompanied 
by  a  guarded  bearing,  if  others  are  in  the  scene  watch- 
ing him,  but  if  alone  upon  the  stage,  giving  vent  even 
more  freely  to  his  mood  than  while  actually  speaking 
aloud  to  others.  For  instance  Shylock's  long  aside — 
"How  like  a  fawning  publican,"  etc., — is  a  meditation 
while  others  are  watching  him.  Shy  lock  must  act  as  if 
he  were  "contemplating  his  present  store"  as  far  as 
what  Bassanio  and  Antonio  can  see,  but  the  audience 
will  detect  by  Shylock's  facial  expression,  which  is 
turned  from  the  others,  the  mood  wdth  which  he  is  giv- 
ing the  thought.  Here  the  audience  must  understand 
that  Shylock  is  not  actually  speaking  aloud,  but  never- 
theless they  must  know  exactly  what  he  is  thinking. 
It  would  be  impossible  for  him,  by  mere  facial  pan- 
tomime to  give  all  that  thought  without  words. 
(14.)  Soliloquies.  The  form  of  the  aside  just  ex- 
plained in  the  last  paragraph  is  what  is  called  soliloquy 
and  will  be  discussed  at  length  under  a  chapter  de- 
voted to  the  soliloquy  in  a  play  and  the  isolated  solil- 
oquy written  expressly  for  a  single  actor  in  a  single 
scene.  This  form  of  the  aside  refers  to  the  expression 
of  thought  by  an  actor  alone  on  the  stage.     He  may 


48  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

talk  to  himself  frankly  aloud,  or  he  may  give  the  im- 
pression of  merely  thinking  or  meditating,  but  since 
he  is  alone  upon  the  stage,  the  audience  will  not  be 
concerned  whether  it  is  meant  to  be  aloud  or  not.  In 
Hamlet's  soliloquy  the  impression  is  given  that  Hamlet 
is  talking  aloud  to  himself.  He  is  alone  on  the  stage 
and  the  burden  of  his  thought  is  such  that  he  might 
reasonably  talk  aloud  rather  than  meditate  silently. 

Literary  Presentation  of  Plays. — Before  leaving 
the  chapter  on  the  Play  it  would  be  well  to  speak  of 
a  new  form  of  presenting  plays — a  form  not  so  much 
entertaining  as  educational.  In  reality  it  is  an  en- 
croachment on  the  reader's  art,  but  it  is  excusable 
because  of  financial  limitations  existing  in  a  complete 
production  and  where  the  beauty  of  the  lines  or  the 
mood  is  made  prominent  for  educational  value  rather 
than  for  complete  artistic  entertainment. 

Shakespearian  plays  given  by  college  organizations 
incur  great  expense  and  actual  loss,  if  produced  with 
all  the  scenic  and  costume  equipment  used  in  profes- 
sional performances,  so  it  has  been  found  possible  to 
dispense  with  special  scenery  and  even  the  period  cos- 
tumes, presenting  the  play  with  all  the  action  and 
properties  but  making  more  prominent  the  educational 
features. 

The  Cyclorama  plan  as  set  forth  by  Mr.  B.  li.  Clark 
in  his  book,  Hozv  To  Produce  Amateur  Plays,  is  a 
most  excellent  plan  for  schools  that  must  produce  their 
plays  inexpensively. 

The  Coburn  Players  and  the  Ben  Greet  Players,  in 
their  outdoor   plan   of  entertainment   have   been   ex- 


ACTING  49 

tremely  successful  in  producing  many  Shakespearian 
plays  and  other  classics  of  great  value  educationally. 
There  are  many  modern  plays  that  can  also  be  given 
effectivcl}'  with  merely  screens  set  up  for  scenery  and 
a  few  necessary  pieces  of  furniture. 

There  is  a  form  of  presentation,  which  is  mentioned 
here  merely  as  a  convenient  means  of  entertainment 
for  literary  clubs  and  societies  wishing  to  offer  a  play 
or  scenes  from  plays  without  the  formality  of  scenery 
or  the  added  vexation  of  committing  the  lines.  This 
plan  consists  of  the  several  members  of  the  cast  "walk- 
ing through  the  parts"  with  book  in  hand  and  attempt- 
ing to  carry  as  literally  as  possible  some  of  the  general 
action  of  the  play.  This  method  may  be  called  *'liter- 
ary  presentation." 

These  plans,  however,  are  only  makeshifts  for  lack 
of  funds,  and  can  not  for  a  moment  be  accepted  at 
the  same  valuation  as  a  completely  staged  plan. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE   ONE   CHARACTER   PLAY   OR   SOLILOQUY 

Definition. — Up  to  this  point  the  play  of  two  or 
more  characters  has  been  discussed.  The  first  step  in 
progress  from  the  reahstic  to  the  suggestive  form  of 
entertainment  is  the  Acting  Soliloquy,  or  One  Char- 
acter Play.  In  the  Soliloquy  the  student  becomes  con- 
scious of  the  fact  that  he  alone  is  now  the  center  of 
attention  at  all  times.  Hitherto  he  has  acted  with 
others  who  have  alternately  claimed  attention  and  as- 
sisted him  in  interpreting  the  play,  but  now  the  whole 
responsibility,  every  instant  of  the  play,  is  upon  him. 
Here  he  finds  there  is  no  unobtrusive  action  and  no 
time  that  he  may  relapse  into  a  negligent  pose  while 
the  attention  is  centered  elsewhere.  He  must  be  doing 
something  or  saying  something  significant  all  the 
time.  Under  this  type  of  play  the  actor  still  uses  prop- 
erties, make-up  and  scenery,  but  it  is  the  only  form  of 
entertainment  suitable  to  one  person  ivhere  these  acces- 
sories are  permissible.  It  is  vital  to  remember  this,  for 
from  time  to  time  in  succeeding  steps  there  will  be 
various  temptations  for  the  student  to  use  properties. 

In  the  Acting  Soliloquy,  we  have  a  vehicle  which 
requires  not  only  characterization  but  detailed  business 
with  specific  properties  in  order  to  make  the  thought 
of  the  selection  and  the  author's  purpose  understood. 

50 


ACTING  51 

When  this  form  of  entertainment  is  used  the  enter- 
tainer must  have  the  proper  stage  setting,  costumes, 
properties  and  make-up  appropiiate  to  the  character 
soHloquizing,  and  there  must  be  no  imaginary  proper- 
ties, costumes,  nor  other  persons  concerned  in  the  pre- 
sentation. The  one  character,  if  he  speaks  at  all,  is 
talking  to  himself  and  just  as  in  the  "aside"  within  a 
larger  play,  he  is  giving  his  thoughts  to  the  audience 
without  the  audience  realizing  that  he  is  actually 
speaking. 

Comparison  of  the  Soliloquy  and  the  Aside  within 
the  Play. — All  that  has  been  said  under  the  discus- 
sion of  the  aside  to  one's  self,  applies  to  the  speaking 
of  lines  in  the  One  Character  Play.  The  only  differ- 
ence between  the  two  is  that  the  One  Character  Play 
is  complete  in  plot  and  purpose,  and  is  isolated  from 
any  other  scene,  while  the  aside  within  a  play  always 
bears  some  relation  to  the  other  scenes.  The  One 
Character  Play  is,  of  course,  longer  and  tells  a  com- 
plete story.  It  is  written  for  a  reader  and  is  usually 
arranged  so  that  very  simple  scenery  is  required  and 
very  few  properties  are  essential.  These  few  proper- 
ties and  the  necessity  for  scenery  and  furniture  make 
the  art  acting,  and  the  reader,  for  the  time  being,  be- 
comes an  actor.  If  the  properties  and  scene  can  be 
dispensed  with,  they  ought  to  be,  and  the  selection  will 
be  then  classed  under  types  suitable  for  the  reader's 
art. 

In  most  modern  plays  the  aside  and  the  soliloquy 
are  avoided.  A  skilfully  worked  out  play  rarely  has 
need  for  them,  but  the  foregoing  treatment  of  the  sub- 


52  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

ject  still  applies  to  the  older  plays  and  the  classics 
which  make  great  use  of  both  the  soliloquy  and  the 
aside. 

The  Acting  Soliloquy  is  sometimes  erroneously 
called  the  Acting  Monologue.  There  is  no  such  thing 
literally  as  an  Acting  Monologue.  In  a  Monologue 
other  characters  are  assumed  to  be  present,  but  only 
the  one  character  actually  does  the  talking.  He  lis- 
tens to  their  imaginary  conversation,  may  shake  hands 
with  them  in  pantomime  or  he  may  hand  them  imagin- 
ary properties.  Obviously  one  can  not  hand  a  real 
property  to  an  imaginary  character,  and  it  is  at  this 
point  that  an  Acting  Monologue,  in  the  sense  we  use 
the  term  "acting,"  would  become  absurd.  The  instant 
an  audience  is  required  to  imagine  the  other  charac- 
ters, it  is  inconS'isteiit  to  use  real  properties.  There- 
fore the  Soliloquy  is  the  only  form  of  the  actor's  art 
which  the  solitary  entertainer  may  consistently  render. 
The  Monologue  must  not  be  acted.  As  a  vehicle  for 
personating,  a  form  of  the  reader's  art,  it  will  be  dis- 
cussed later. 

The  Relative  Importance  of  Scenery  and  Furni- 
ture.— The  Soliloquy  may  have  very  ordinary  scen- 
ery and  it  may  be  such  that  a  simple  platform  with  one 
or  two  pieces  of  furniture  and  some  screens  will  do, 
but  everything  must  be  conveniently  placed  for  use 
just  as  in  a  play  of  two  or  more  characters.  This  form 
of  entertainment  is  especially  good  for  a  closing  num- 
ber on  a  lyceum  program.  A  splendid  example  is 
Leland  T.  Powers'  Pro  and  Con  in  which  a  young 
man,  meditating  on  the  advisability  of  proposing  to  a 


ACTING  53 

certain  young  woman,  steps  on  an  ordinary  platform 
furnished  with  a  chair  and  a  small  stand  perhaps. 
Almost  any  platform  dressed  tastefully  for  a  reader  is 
sufficient  to  suggest  the  room  in  which  this  young 
man  meditates,  since  here  scenery  h  of  almost  no 
importance.  Properties,  however,  are  necessary  to  a 
complete  rendition  of  this  piece.  The  young  man  has 
a  hat,  an  overcoat,  gloves,  and  a  letter  in  his  pocket. 
The  humor  of  the  situation  here  demands  real  prop- 
erties— imaginary  ones  will  not  do,  for  there  is  one 
piece  of  business  which  could  not  without  confusion 
be  pantomimed.  If  it  were  not  for  this  the  selection 
could  be  given  as  a  Personation  without  any  proper- 
ties. Another  similar  selection  is  A  Morning's  Mail, 
by  Edmund  Vance  Cook.  The  letters  are  actually 
necessary  because  of  some  particular  business  which 
would  not  be  understood  if  pantomimed  without  the 
properties.  In  both  selections,  the  characters  in  solil- 
oquy are  acting  rather  absent-mindedly  and  it  is  neces- 
sary that  the  audience  discern  what  is  supposed  to  be 
the  action  with  the  properties  and  the  action  that  is 
intended  by  the  young  men  themselves  to  be  only  im- 
aginary. If  all  the  action  with  properties  were  made 
imaginary  by  objective  pantomime,  the  significance  of 
the  intended  imaginary  action  would  be  lost. 

Excerpts  from  Plays  for  the  Platform. — Some- 
times long  asides  or  meditations  are  taken  from  a  play 
and  arranged  in  a  soliloquy  which  may  be  acted  by  a 
lyceum  entertainer.  Ophelia's  ''Mad  Scene"  and  Lady 
Macbeth's  "Sleep  Walking  Scene"  may  be  so  ar- 
ranged.    All  the  other  characters'  speeches  are  taken 


54  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

out  and  the  one  character  speech  acted  with  properties, 
in  a  screened  off  portion  of  the  platform  made  to  rep- 
resent an  ordinary  room  in  the  Macbeth  scene,  or  a 
special  outdoor  scene  arranged  for  the  Ophelia  episode. 
Any  similar  excerpt,  however,  should  be  made  from 
well-known  plays,  for  the  audience  otherwise  would 
have  no  way  of  seeing  the  connection  with  the  rest  of 
the  play.  These  scenes  are  best  given  as  readings  for 
there  is  rarely  one  of  them  in  which  properties  are 
essential.  Plays  that  are  strong  enough  in  thought 
and  emotion  rarely  need  the  action  with  properties 
that  could  be  introduced  by  one  person  during  a  solil- 
oquy. It  is  sufficient  for  the  one  person  to  give  the 
mood  of  the  character.  Many  entertainers  go  to  the 
extreme  to  try  to  arrange  everything  so  that  they  may 
"dress  the  part"  and  exploit  their  ability  in  ''make-up:' 
There  comes  to  mind  one  entertainer  in  particular  who 
had  an  arrangement  from  Eben  Holden  in  which  he 
proceeded  as  follows:  During  a  preliminary  explana- 
tion, he  hung  a  mirror  in  the  back  of  one  of  the  pulpit 
chairs  (the  entertainment  was  in  a  church)  and  put 
several  little  properties  on  the  pulpit  and  the  altar  rail. 
Then  he  stepped  behind  the  screen  and,  while  explain- 
ing the  situation,  made  up  as  Eben  Holden.  Presently 
he  reappeared  with  lather  all  over  his  face  and  during 
the  implied  dialogue  that  follov/ed,  proceeded  to  shave. 
It  was  not  a  soliloquy.  A  young  woman  was  supposed 
to  be  present.  It  wasn't  even  a  real  monologue,  but 
the  entertainer  had  so  arranged  the  dialogue  because 
evidently  he  saw  far  enough  ahead  to  realize  that  he 
couldn't    make    the    audience    effectively    imagine    a 


ACTING  55 

young  woman  speaking  with  lather  all  over  her  face. 
TlTerefore  he  did  keep  to  the  character  of  Eben  Holden 
and  allowed  his  audience  to  imagine  the  young  woman 
sitting  on  one  of  the  pulpit  chairs.  Considering,  how- 
ever, that  the  scene  was  supposed  to  be  a  kitchen  and 
the  chief  character  was  literal  in  costume  and  make- 
up, it  was  rather  too  much  of  a  stretch  for  the  imagin- 
ation to  convert  pulpit  chairs,  etc.,  into  a  kitchen  sink. 
The  whole  arrangement  was  absurd  and  need  not  have 
occurred  at  all. 

The  one  thing  to  remember  about  the  Acted  Solil- 
oquy is  that  only  one  character  can  be  present,  and 
then  only  among  consistent  surroundings  and  neces- 
sary properties.  No  other  character  can  even  be  as- 
sumed for  the  soliloquy  means  one  "talking  to  him- 
self." 

Technique  of  Presentation. — The  technique  of 
presentation  is  practically  the  same  as  that  of  many  a 
character  play  with  regard  to  the  set,  the  furniture 
grouping,  properties,  costuming  and  make-up.  The 
outside  effects,  lighting,  etc.,  are  rarely  necessary,  but 
if  so  they  should  be  very  simple.  Only  those  things 
which  are  vitally  related  to  the  character  soliloquizing 
should  be  required.  Since  no  other  characters  are  con- 
cerned, the  properties  that  are  not  handled  or  referred 
to  by  the  character  need  not  be  in  the  set.  The  minute 
business  of  the  character  is  very  essential  and  of 
course  of  utmost  importance  to  the  play  for  in  the 
Acted  Soliloquy  it  is  the  need  of  such  business  that 
makes  it  so  classified.  If  the  thought  and  emotion 
only  are  essential  then  the  selection  is  not  for  actiny^~ 


56  DRAMATIC  IXTERPRETATIOX 

and  will  be  discussed  under  another  topic.  The  action 
and  the  speaking  of  lines  are  treated  exactly  as  a  long 
aside  in  a  play. 


CHAPTER  V 


ILLUSTRATIVE   MATTER 


From  the  Play  Requiring  Two  or  More  Charac- 
ters.— For  the  purpose  of  ilkistration.  the  second 
scene  of  the  first  act  in  The  Merchant  of  J'oncc  will 
be  sufficient. 

The  set  is  a  rather  elaborate  interior  arranged  to 
represent  the  dressing-room  of  Portia.  The  furniture 
consists  of  a  settee,  a  dressing  table  with  mirror,  and 
two  or  three  chairs.  The  properties  are  all  the  neces- 
sary paraphernalia  of  a  dressing  table,  brush,  hand 
mirror,  perfume,  etc.,  all  typical  of  the  period. 

At  the  rise  of  the  curtain  Portia,  a  young  woman  in 
a  dressing  gown  and  slippers,  is  discovered  in  a  chair 
by  the  table  at  the  lower  left-hand  corner  of  the  stage. 
At  her  back  the  maid,  Xerissa,  stands,  while  dressing 
her  mistress'  hair.  During  the  dialogue,  at  exact 
points,  specific  movements  are  to  be  made.  Everv  di- 
rector has  a  certain  number  of  movements  which  he 
has  planned  out,  and  they  may  all  be  different,  and  at 
different  points  in  the  dialogue  from  those  any  other 
director  has  planned,  but  as  long  as  they  are  consistent 
with  his  interpretation,  they  are  legitimate  and  will 
help  make  the  situation  real.  Just  the  business  of  a 
line  or  two  here  will  suffice. 

57 


58  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

Portia-  Heigho,  my  little  lady  is  awear\  of  the  great 
world.  (Sighs,  droops  shoulder  and  puis 
down  hand  mirror  zvhich  she  has  been  hold- 
ing.) 

Nerissa:  You  would  be,  sweet  madam,  etc.  (Tarries 
in  the  act  of  brushing  and  picks  up  comb.) 

Portia-  Good  sentences  and  well  pronounced. 
(Shrugs  shoidders,  reaches  dozvn  to  knee 
and  picks  off  a  long  hair  and  rather  absent- 
mindedly  winds  it  over  finger.) 

Now,  of  course  the  above  business  would  rarely  be 
seen  in  a  prompt  book,  but  the  director  suggests  it  in 
order  that  these  points  may  give  a  living  reality  to  the 
scene.  He  may  even  say  for  instance,  ''When  you  re- 
place the  hand  mirror,  it  should  rest  on  the  table  at 
the  word  aweary!"  Of  course  it  could  be  accom- 
plished just  as  well  on  some  other  w^ord  perhaps,  but 
if  the  director  says  "aweary" — that  is  the  word  on 
which  the  action  must  come.  If  the  girls  are  experi- 
enced actresses  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  be  as  exact 
in  telling  them  where  to  shrug  shoulders  or  do  the 
most  detailed  subjective  action,  but  to  inexperienced 
students  even  the  small  detail  of  showing  surprise  by 
lifting  the  eyebrows  is  often  necessary  to  suggest. 
Just  as  children  learn  to  walk  and  talk  through  imita- 
tion, so  the  actor  takes  his  first  steps  through  imitation. 

In  the  presentation  of  the  scene  just  described,  all 
the  dresser  articles  to  be  used  must  be  there  in  reality. 
There  can  be  no  imaginary  comb  or  brush.  The  ser- 
vant who  enters  must  be  real.    To  look  upon  two  girls 


ACTING  59 

in  a  perfectly  arranged  setting  while  they  talk  to- 
gether, and  to  be  obliged  to  imagine  a  third  entering 
upon  the  scene  is  an  impossible  situation.  The 
audience  would  immediately  think  the  girls  were  imag- 
ining the  servant  in  a  spirit  of  fun.  The  moment  the 
reader  steps  into  the  realm  of  the  actor,  he  must  be 
consistent  with  the  laws  of  acting  or  the  result  will 
be  confusing.  Portia,  Nerissa  and  Balthasar  are  the 
three  characters  concerned  in  the  scene.  There  can  be 
no  makeshift  whereby  any  one  of  the  three,  or  any  of 
the  properties  concerned,  can  be  omitted  if  the  scene 
is  to  be  acted.  If  it  is  to  be  read,  then  one  person  will 
suggest  everything  without  the  assistance  of  any 
properties. 

Illustration  from  the  One  Character  Play. — Lady 
]\Iacbeth's  "Sleep  Walking  Scene,"  when  given  within 
the  play,  is  interrupted  by  conversation  between  the 
doctor  and  the  maid.  The  setting  represents  a  room 
in  the  Macbeth  castle.  A  table  and  a  chair  or  two  are 
all  the  necessary  furniture,  but  it  may  be  as  elaborate 
as  one  wishes.  Lady  Macbeth  will  be  in  negligee  and 
slippers,  with  her  hair  in  braids  as  if  prepared  for  the 
night.  She  will  enter  with  a  lighted  candle  in  her 
hand  and  stalk  majestically  to  the  table  where  she 
will  place  the  candle.  The  other  characters  will  be 
stationed  in  an  alcove  up  stage  whence  they  will  make 
their  interpolated  remarks.  Lady  ^lacbeth's  business 
will  be  mainly  subjective.  This  scene  might  be  given 
by  one  person  as  a  single  number  on  a  program,  in  a 
setting  simply  arranged  with  table,  chairs  and  candle. 
The  dialogue  of  the  doctor  and  the  maid   would  be 


6o  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

omitted,  and  the  whole  scene  given  as  a  one  act  play 
in  which  only  one  character  appears  and  talks  in  her 
sleep,  but  if  it  is  so  given,  the  entertainer's  purpose  is 
more  to  exploit  the  action  and  the  costume,  etc.,  than 
to  give  the  moods  of  the  selection.  Here  again  the 
single  entertainer  will  do  better  to  read  than  to  act, 
but  since  the  excerpt  may  be  arranged  in  the  form  of 
a  soliloquy,  it  may  be  acted  without  violating  the  law 
of  consistency. 

Pro  and  Con,  by  Leland  T.  Powers,  was  written  to 
be  acted.  It  is  a  typical  acting  soliloquy  requiring 
certain  properties,  but  since  it  was  expected  to  be 
given  by  a  reader,  the  arrangement  of  furniture  and 
scenery  is  very  simple.  A  brief  explanation  of  the 
synopsis  will  show  why  the  selection  should  be  acted 
rather  than  given  through  personating  with  only 
imaginary  properties. 

A  young  man  enters  with  hat  and  gloves  in  one 
hand  and  his  overcoat  on  his  arm.  He  lays  the  hat 
and  coat  on  a  chair  or  convenient  article  of  furniture 
and  proceeds  to  put  on  his  gloves  while  soliloquizing. 
He  intends  to  propose  to  a  certain  Margaret,  but  just 
as  he  gets  the  glove  half-way  on  he  suddenly  thinks 
of  all  the  joys  of  bachelorhood  which  he  must  give  up 
if  he  enters  the  state  of  matrimony.  Slowly  he  begins 
to  work  the  glove  off  until  the  remembrance  of  her 
charms  turns  the  scale  in  her  favor.  Then  he  begins 
to  rub  on  the  glove  rapidly,  all  the  time  speaking  of 
Margaret's  wonderful  ways.  Gradually  he  falters 
again  as  other  problems  crowd  upon  his  thoughts  and 
once  more  he  begins  to  draw  off  the  glove.     He  alter- 


ACTING  6i 

nates  between  the  two  decisions,  showing  his  state  of 
mind  mainly  by  the  unconscious  working  off  and  on 
of  the  glove  until  finally  as  he  thinks  of  the  mother- 
in-law-to-be,  he  pulls  off  the  glove  with  a  decisive  jerk 
and  starts  to  put  it  in  his  pocket,  where  he  discovers 
a  letter.  The  letter  is  from  Margaret  herself  and  in 
reading  it  he  decides  to  call  upon  her  after  all.  This 
decision  alters,  however,  when  upon  turning  a  page  of 
the  letter,  he  learns  that  she  is  announcing  her  en- 
gagement to  another  man.  Blank  amazement  over- 
spreads his  features  as  one  by  one  the  gloves  drop 
from  his  hands.  He  slowly  tears  up  the  letter,  staring 
straight  in  front  of  him  without  saying  a  word  and 
then  absent-mindedly  begins  to  rub  his  fingers  as  if 
putting  on  the  gloves.  It  is  at  this  point  in  the  selec- 
tion that  we  see  why  the  real  properties  are  needed. 
To  make  this  piece  of  business  funny  there  must  be  a 
distinction  understood  on  the  part  of  the  audience  be- 
tween the  action  of  pulling  on  the  real  gloves  and  the 
absent-minded  pantomime  of  the  same  act.  If  all  the 
properties  were  imagined,  the  audience  would  not 
know  the  difference  in  the  action  when  the  young 
man  becomes  absent-minded,  and  they  would  lose  the 
humor  of  that  ]:)articular  situation.  Since  one  property 
is  essential,  the  other  properties  are  necessary.  To  use 
real  gloves  and  an  imaginary  letter  would  be  inconsist- 
ent and  confusing  to  the  audience.  Hat  and  overcoat 
are  needed  to  complete  the  consistency.  Of  course,  by 
sacrificing  that  particular  bit  of  humor,  the  selection 
could  be  given  as  well  through  personating  as  through 
acting,  but  since  the  selection  is  in  soliloquy  form  and 


62  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

since  the  properties  and  scenery  are  so  very  simple, 
the  entertainer  might  as  well  conform  to  the  author's 
evident  purpose  and  give  the  selection  as  indicated  by 
the  stage  directions,  for  he  can  do  so  with  perfect 
consistency. 

Another  popular  soliloquy  which  should  be  given 
through  acting,  if  the  author's  purpose  is  to  be  carried 
out,  is  A  Morning's  Mail,  by  Edmund  Vance  Cooke. 
The  scene  is  a  simple  interior  containing  a  table  lit- 
tered with  books  and  papers,  and  a  chair  or  two.  A 
young  man  enters  with  his  hands  full  of  letters  which 
he  begins  to  read.  All  this  could  be  done  through 
personating  with  imaginary  letters,  etc.,  but  the  fact 
that  it  is  a  soliloquy  and  that  one  piece  of  business 
would  not  be  understood  were  it  so  given,  makes  it 
more  completeh^  presented  through  acting.  In  the 
middle  of  the  young  man's  soliloquy  concerning  his 
letters  he  comes  upon  an  invitation  to  a  card  party. 
He  lays  down  his  letters  and  begins  to  make  believe 
deal  cards  as  if  already  at  the  party,  at  the  same  time 
indulging  in  some  sarcastic  remarks  to  his  imaginary 
hostess  and  guests,  and  imitating  them  with  affecta- 
tion. This  imaginary  action  with  the  cards  and  his 
imaginary  guests  would  not  be  understood  by  the 
audience  unless  contrasted  by  action  witli  the  real  let- 
ters and  surroundings.  Here  the  audience  must  not 
imagine  any  other  person  in  the  scene  but  must  under- 
stand that  the  young  man  himself  is  imagining  his 
guests.  When  an  audience  is  led  to  imagine  proper- 
ties, etc.,  at  the  start,  it  will  accept  the  situation  and 
imagine  ever}thing  suggested,  but  when  it  sees  real 


ACTING  63 

properties  at  the  bep:iniiing,  naturally  it  supposes  that 
everything  to  be  seen  will  actually  be  there  in  its  place. 
Consequently,  if  any  property  is  omitted  and  merely 
indicated  by  literal  objective  pantomime,  the  inevitable 
conclusion  is  that  the  pantomime  is  a  part  of  the  char- 
acter's imagination  and  the  audience  will  accept  no 
part  of  such  pantomime  as  referring  to  real  objects. 
The  shuffling  and  dealing  of  cards  in  this  selection  is 
a  part  of  the  character's  imagination,  and  since  real 
letters  and  surroundings  have  been  used,  the  relation- 
ship to  the  imaginary  cards  is  easily  understood. 

Brief  Summary. — Before  closing  the  chapter,  it 
will  be  well  to  crystallize  one  or  two  apt  phrases 
that  may  stand  as  convenient  guide-posts  in  assisting 
the  young  student  to  judge  when  a  selection  demands 
the  art  of  acting  and  therefore  requires  the  use  of 
properties  or  wdiether  it  may  better  be  given  through 
the  art  of  reading. 

In  a  Play  with  other  actors,  he  unll  ALWAYS  use 
properties. 

In  a  One  Character  Play,  or  Soliloquy,  he  zvill  use 
them,  if  the  action  of  the  play  would  appear  INCON- 
SISTENT or  INCOMPLETE  without  them. 

In  any  Reading  zvhere  other  characters  arc  to  be 
imagined  by  the  audience,  the  student  will  NEVER 
use  properties,  for  to  imagine  characters  at  the  same 
time  that  real  properties  are  used  is  confusing  and 
often  results  in  utter  loss  of  the  real  significance  of 
the  selection. 

It  is  true  that  there  are  some  selections  which  are 
impossible  to  give  consistently,   if  the  author's  direc- 


64  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

tions  are  to  be  strictly  followed.  In  that  case,  the 
selection  should  either  be  avoided  or  else  reconstructed 
consistently  or,  if  it  must  be  given,  frankly  presented 
as  a  burlesque  so  that  the  audience  may  not  be  con- 
fused or  at  least  feel  uncomplimented  as  to  its  intelli- 
gence. The  example  quoted  above,  The  Morning's 
Mail,  was  originally  inconsistent  in  construction,  for 
it  made  properties  essential  and  then  introduced  an- 
other character  at  the  close  of  the  scene.  In  order  to 
make  it  consistent,  the  other  character  should  be 
omitted,  as  long  as  properties  are  to  be  used,  or  else 
the  selection  should  be  presented  by  two  actors.  A 
third  possibility  of  reconstruction  would  be  to  omit  the 
portion  dealing  with  the  imagination  of  the  young 
man  in  assuming  guests  at  a  card  table,  and  giving 
the  selection  through  personating  where  all  properties 
are  imagined.  Then  the  character  at  the  close  of  the 
selection  could  also  be  imagined.  The  first  suggestion 
is  the  best,  however,  for  the  entrance  of  the  second 
character  is  of  practically  no  importance. 

If  the  student  keeps  watch  for  inconsistencies  in 
construction  and  takes  the  time  to  reconstruct  them 
according  to  the  standard  of  consistency,  he  will  have 
very  little  trouble  in  working  out  all  his  programs  to 
suit  the  taste  of  all  classes  of  audience  without  offend- 
ing any. 


CHAPTER  VT 

REHEARSING    BEGINNERS 

General     Remarks. — In     the     discussion     under 

technique  of  presentation  it  has  already  been  pointed 
out  that  it  is  unwise  to  keep  impressing  beginners  with 
the  fact  that  they  are  amateurs.  It  is  better  rather  to 
assure  them  that  the  director  will  not  be  satisfied  with 
amateur  work;  that  amateurishness  belongs  only  in 
the  production  given  under  unskilful  coaching,  and 
that  skilful  direction  coupled  with  earnest  and  con- 
tinuous hard  work  will  present  a  professional  per- 
formance, not,  to  be  sure,  equal  to  that  of  the  world 
renowned  companies,  but  actually  far  better  than  the 
average  traveling,  one-night-stand  actors  accomplish. 
It  is  time  that  the  public  were  brought  to  under- 
stand that  traveling  companies  do  not  necessarily  pro- 
duce professional  work,  nor  on  the  other  hand,  that 
Inlays  produced  by  college  students  must  be  classed  as 
amateur.  Technically,  of  course,  the  student  produc- 
tion is  amateur,  but  the  term  is  misleading  and  has 
done  much  to  make  home  audiences  think  they  must 
come  to  the  college  play  prepared  to  be  tolerant  and 
critical.  The  same  audience  will  pay  five  times  as 
much  to  see  a  fifth-rate,  *'slap-stick  farce"  or  a  blood- 
curdling melodrama  given  by  a  traveling  company 
and  imagine  they  are  watching  a  really  artistic  per- 
formance which  they  would  not  think  of  criticizing. 

6s 


66  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

The  director  should  see  to  it  that  his  cast  reahzes 
they  are  not  to  be  classed  as  amateurs,  but  rather  as 
beginners.  They  must  not  acknowledge  themselves 
amateurish  but  on  the  other  hand  must  strive  for  pro- 
fessional excellence.  Their  work  then  will  be  pro- 
fessional, and  the  audience  will  learn  to  respect  it» 

Selecting  the  Cast. — In  picking  the  cast  the  di- 
rector should  look  for  "fitness  to  the  part,"  not  putting 
his  inexperienced  students  in  the  leads,  but  choosing 
according  to  seniority  of  experience  and  adaptability 
for  the  part,  for  if  a  student  is  given  a  characteriza- 
tion so  unlike  himself  that  he  is  conscious  of  his  act- 
ing all  the  time,  he  will  never  get  away  from  his 
dependence  on  coaching  and  is  liable  to  retain  a  self- 
consciousness  that  will  rob  him  ultimately  of  his 
individuality.  He  should  be  allowed  first  to  act  in 
parts  that  are  most  like  himself  in  mood,  voice,  car- 
riage, size  and  build.  He  is  thus  enabled  to  get  accus- 
tomed to  acting  on  the  stage  without  being  constantly 
corrected  and  "made  over."  Later  when  he  has  had 
more  experience  in  acting  out  what  is  natural  for  him, 
he  may  safely  be  directed  first  in  a  slightly  different 
mood  and  then  gradually  as  his  versatility  becomes 
apparent  he  may  be  guided  into  widely  different  roles. 
It  is  a  mistake  to  allow  beginners  to  think  they  can 
step  right  into  star  parts  and  create  an  impression  on 
the  audience  that  will  immediately  reach  Belasco's 
ears  and  cause  him  instantly  to  wire,  "Come  at  once. 
New  York  is  waiting  for  you."  About  nine-tenths 
of  the  aspirants  for  the  stage  indulge  in  just  these 
very  dreams,  and  it  should  be  one  of  the  director's 


ACTING  67 

first  tasks  to  dispel  the  illusion.  He  should  not  dis- 
courage real  talent  when  it  exists,  but  he  should  make 
it  thoroughly  understood  that  talent  is  of  no  earthly 
use  to  an  individual  unless  he  works  and  is  willing  to 
follow  implicitly  the  advice  of  his  director.  Talent 
plus  long  hours  of  labor  makes  genius,  and  if  one 
would  be  considered  a  genius  he  must  plan  to  work 
hard  and  long  and  patiently  at  things  which  seem 
trivial  perhaps,  before  he  can  hope  to  get  started  at 
the  big  things.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  formulate  a 
"working  up"  process  whereby  the  student  begins 
with  a  "bit'*  and  proceeds  through  utility,  ingenue  and 
character  parts  to  the  leading  roles.  Some  will  never 
get  further  than  "bits,"  but  if  their  genius  does  not 
entitle  them  to  promotion,  they  should  never  be  pro- 
moted. It  is  much  better  that  they  be  informed  at 
this  stage  of  their  career  that  they  were  not  meant  for 
actors  than  to  push  them  into  parts  through  which 
they  would  soon  suffer  greater  humiliation.  In  select- 
ing the  cast,  size  and  build  should  of  course  fit  the 
character  as  far  as  possible  so  that  there  will  not  be  a 
ridiculous  situation  arising  from  matching  a  small 
man  with  a  large  woman  or  a  character  supposed  to 
be  a  giant  substituted  by  a  man  of  less  than  five  feet. 
The  director  will  have  to  use  good  sound  judgment  in 
deciding  whether  size  and  build  are  factors  in  picking 
his  particular  cast. 

After  picking  the  cast  the  director  should  instruct 
the  members  to  read  the  whole  play  aloud  at  home, 
before  the  first  rehearsal  is  called.  It  is  a  mistake  for 
any  member  to  be  ignorant  of  the  whole  purpose  of 


68  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

the  play.    If  it  is  not  possible  for  all  members  to  have 
complete  copies,  the  director  should  read  it  to  them. 

Reading  Rehearsal — General  Business  Given. — 
At  the  first  rehearsal  the  stage  should  be  marked  off 
a  little  larger  than  the  actual  stage  on  which  the  final 
performance  is  to  be  given.  For  practice,  the  cast 
should  be  allowed  plenty  of  room  so  that  in  final  pro- 
duction their  movements  in  a  smaller  space  will  be 
more  concentrated  in  effect.  To  allow  practice  on  a 
small  stage  and  then  expect  the  student  to  expand  his 
action  in  the  final  performance  results  in  disappoint- 
ment because  it  is  much  easier  for  the  beginner  to 
work  in  a  small  space  than  in  a  large  one.  In  expand- 
ing a  movement  a  beginner  will  become  suddenly  con- 
scious of  himself,  and  indecision  coupled  with  a  cer- 
tain awkwardness  of  movement  will  be  apparent. 
After  the  stage  is  marked  off  (using  chairs  to  mark 
the  entrances)  and  tables,  chairs,  stands,  etc.,  are  in 
their  proper  places,  the  students  should  walk  through 
their  parts  with  manuscript  in  hand,  read  the  lines, 
and  follow  the  general  directions  as  to  crosses  and 
turns,  making  note  of  places  where  to  sit  and  rise, 
and  getting  the  correct  interpretation  of  the  lines.  No 
emotional  suggestion  is  given  at  this  rehearsal,  but 
the  student  should  write  down  each  important  cross  or 
turn  on  the  margin  opposite  the  lines  on  which  the 
business  occurs  so  that  in  home  practice  he  may  re- 
hearse over  and  over  again  the  line  and  the  business 
together.  Business  learned  separately  from  the  line 
is  never  carried  out  with  the  appearance  of  spontaneity 
that  such  work  calls  for. 


ACTING  69 

Act  by  Act  Procedure. — The  second  reading  re- 
hearsal should  he  a  repetition  of  the  first  except  that 
the  instructor  should  give  no  new  business  other  than 
to  correct  or  repeat  whatever  the  student  forgets  from 
the  last  rehearsal.  The  play  should  be  rehearsed  act 
by  act  until  the  general  business  of  each  act  is  thor- 
oughly memorized  with  the  lines.  After  each  re- 
hearsal W'hile  the  business  is  fresh  in  mind  the  student 
should  go  over  his  part  alone  at  home  until  every 
movement  is  inseparably  associated  with  the  lines  and 
is  fixed  in  its  proper  sequence. 

Memorizing  Lines  and  Cues. — Each  act  should  be 
memorized  before  taking  up  the  succeeding  one.  The 
best  method  of  memorizing  is  to  take  the  part  with  the 
cues  and  typewrite  them  or  write  them  out  by  hand. 
This  method  eliminates  the  handling  of  the  whole  play 
and  the  wasting  of  time  in  reading  more  than  is  neces- 
sary for  each  part.  Long  uninterrupted  speeches 
may  be  memorized  for  attention  to  detailed  business 
after  the  general  business  and  the  shorter  speeches  are 
established  in  mind.  All  the  silent  business  and  pan- 
tomime are  learned  best  at  regular  rehearsal  so  that 
proper  timing  of  the  business  with  the  lines  of  the 
others  may  be  acquired,  but  the  study  of  lines  and 
general  business  should  be  done  at  home. 

Detailed  Business. — After  the  third  rehearsal  of 
each  act  no  book  should  be  permitted  in  the  student's 
hand.  All  lines  should  have  been  memorized  so  that 
the  student  is  free  to  attend  to  the  detailed  business 
which  is  not  suggested  by  the  director  until  the  lines 
are  at  least  roughly  in  mind.    A  prompter  should  be 


70  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

present,  but  positively  no  manuscript  should  be  al- 
lowed in  the  hands  of  the  performer. 

The  director  should  be  independent  of  the  author's 
suggestion  as  to  business.  A  play  should  be  produced 
according  to  the  director's  interpretation  of  the 
thought  and  purpose  of  the  play.  The  author  may 
have  suggested  business,  but  it  may  not  coincide  with 
the  director's  interpretation  and  he  should  not  feel 
bound  to  follow  it  out.  After  once  being  sure  of  the 
author's  thought  and  purpose  the  director  may  employ 
whatever  manner  he  sees  fit.  He  is  almost  always 
better  able  to  judge  the  values  of  stage  business  than 
the  author. 

No  actor  should  presume  to  offer  suggestions  unless 
asked  by  the  director.  One  interpretation  must  be 
consistent  throughout  and  that  must  be  the  director's, 
not  the  individual  actor's  no  matter  how  experienced 
he  may  be. 

The  director  must  be  alive  to  all  situations  and  be 
constantly  originating  business  consistent  at  all  points 
with  the  play.  The  slightest  detail  should  not  escape 
his  notice  for  every  one  must  be  worked  out  for  the 
student  and  practised  until  it  becomes  a  registered 
part  of  the  general  action.  The  director  will  have  to 
demonstrate  to  the  beginner  who  will  frankly  imitate, 
for  imitation  is  the  first  step  in  any  process  of  learn- 
ing. Every  move  must  be  copied  and  rehearsed  over 
and  over  again.  The  director  should  insist  that  the 
student  watch  him  closely  while  he  is  illustrating  the 
business. 

After  a  student  has  been  in  several  plays  a  certain 


ACTING  71 

liberty  may  be  allowed  him  in  the  personal  business  he 
shall  attach  to  the  reading  of  lines  that  do  not  concern 
another's  action.  He  may  be  allowed  to  work  out  his 
own  business  provided  it  is  in  accordance  with  the 
director's  interpretation.  When  working  with  others, 
however,  the  action  is  **team-work/'  and  the  director 
becomes  the  coach,  who  makes  every  act  consistent. 
In  dramatic  art  a  monarchy  is  better  than  a  democracy 
since  the  director  is  solely  responsible  for  the  success 
or  failure  of  a  performance. 

The  director  will  find  that  stage  business  works  out 
best  with  beginners  if  he  suggests  the  business  pro- 
gressively from  the  general  to  more  and  more  specific 
detail  until  he  finally  rounds  it  out  with  minute  direc- 
tions in  personal  expression,  such  as  the  look  of 
surprise,  anger,  joy,  etc. 

Many  people  are  of  the  opinion  that  it  is  necessary 
for  the  actor  in  order  to  be  really  artistic  that  he 
actually  feel  every  emotion  he  portrays  every  time  he 
acts.  Xothing  could  be  further  from  the  truth,  for 
the  expression  of  the  emotions  becomes  registered  and 
reflexive  just  as  a  simi)le  automatic  motion  is  regis- 
tered. We  learn  to  dress  in  the  morning  without 
being  conscious  of  our  movements.  We  can  learn  to 
express  joy,  anger,  contempt  or  any  of  the  emotions 
without  being  conscious  of  the  emotion  at  all.  At 
first  in  rehearsing,  the  student  must  be  led  to  feci 
genuinely  and  then  to  practise  the  resulting  action 
until  it  is  registered  and  becomes  automatic  with  the 
repetition  of  the  lines. 

Property   Rehearsal. — As   soon   as   possible   after 


y2  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

the  book  is  dropped,  the  rehearsal  should  employ  the 
properties  or  at  least  substitutes  for  the  properties. 
The  student  should  become  accustomed  to  handling: 
the  articles  while  speaking  the  lines.  If  the  property- 
rehearsal  is  delayed  until  the  last  thing  often  such 
confusion  results  that  one  would  think  there  had  been 
no  rehearsing  at  all.  Mere  pantomime  with  imaginary 
properties,  especially  by  the  inexperienced  beginner, 
does  not  make  a  satisfactory  or  permanent  impression. 
The  pantomime  is  never  done  twice  alike  but  the 
actual  manipulating  of  the  objects  themselves  soon 
becomes  automatic.  Of  course,  it  is  impossible  to 
have  all  the  properties  in  rehearsals  at  the  very  first, 
but  such  things  as  newspapers,  letters,  pencils,  pen 
and  ink,  bells,  dishes,  glasses,  bottles,  books,  etc.,  can 
always  be  kept  on  hand  for  the  practice  rehearsals. 
Properties  that  can  not  be  had  until  the  night  of  dress 
rehearsal  may  be  substituted  by  articles  that  feel  like 
them,  such  as  a  cigar  box  for  a  jewel  casket ;  a  short 
stick  for  a  stove  poker,  or  a  broom  handle  for  a  spear. 

The  director  must  see  that  the  young  beginner  in 
picking  up  books  or  magazines  for  silent  perusal 
keeps  his  eye  actually  on  the  page  and  continually 
glances  back  and  forth  along  the  page  as  in  real  read- 
ing. Many  beginners  merely  stare  at  the  page  or  over 
it — anywhere  but  the  place  they  should  look.  If  the 
character  is  supposed  to  be  reading,  his  actions  should 
indicate  it. 

It  is  not  a  good  plan  to  allow  students  to  use  real 
cigars,  cigarettes  or  tobacco  in  ordinary  practice.  A 
short  pencil  will  do.     It  will  give  practically  the  same 


ACTING  73 

"feel"  while  practising  and  is  not  half  so  annoying  to 
the  ladies  of  the  cast.  When  it  is  time  for  the  final 
rehearsal  the  use  of  the  tobacco  may  then  be  permitted. 

While  rehearsing  a  dinner  scene  in  which  many 
dishes  and  utensils  are  used,  the  director  can  not  take 
too  much  pains  in  timing  the  handling  of  articles  with 
the  progress  of  the  lines.  It  must  be  done  noiselessly 
and  at  the  same  time  swiftly  and  accurately.  These 
scenes  should  be  rehearsed  again  and  again  until 
every  move  is  reflexive  and  automatic. 

Great  attention  must  be  paid  to  all  music  cues, 
which  should  be  known  by  the  orchestra  or  the  music 
director  behind  the  scenes.  He  must  know  at  what 
point  to  start  the  music,  when  to  let  it  die  down  grad- 
ually, wdien  it  is  to  swell  and  when  to  stop.  There 
should  be  a  special  music  rehearsal  in  which  these 
parts  are  practised  over  and  over  until  everything  is 
synchronous. 

When  an  actor  who  does  not  play  the  piano  is  given 
a  part  requiring  that  he  play  on  the  stage,  it  is  unfor- 
tunate but  sometimes  unavoidable.  In  such  a  case, 
there  must  be  days  of  special  training  with  a  com- 
petent musician  who  will  play  back  of  the  scenes  while 
the  actor  goes  through  the  motions  before  the  au- 
dience. By  constant  practice  this  arrangement  may 
be  brought  about  so  skilfully  that  the  audience  is 
often  unaware  that  the  actor  is  not  the  musician. 

Polish. — After  the  general  rehearsals  have  been 
in  progress  some  time,  there  will  appear  certain 
scenes  that  are  particularly  effective  and  certain  ones 
that   are   weak.     There   should   be   special    rehearsals 


74  DRAMATIC  IxNTERFRETATION 

called  for  the  weak  scenes,  and  these  should  be  worked 
over  separately  until  they  are  as  effective  as  the  oth- 
ers. Nearly  always  there  will  be  one  or  two  of  the 
actors  who  are  not  developing"  their  parts  as  rapidly 
as  the  others.  The  director  should  find  time  to  do  a 
little  private  coaching  in  these  cases.  Nothing  should 
be  left  undone  that  will  make  the  whole  cast  work  in 
unison  and  with  a  good  distribution  of  important 
business. 

The  "star"  system  should  never  be  suggested 
among  beginners.  It  is  unfortunate  that  it  exists 
among  professional  companies,  but  commercialism  has 
made  it  inevitable.  The  cast  for  school  production 
should  not  be  allowed  to  get  the  impression  that  the 
part  usually  played  by  a  star  is  necessarily  the  leading 
part.  Opportunity  to  do  good  work  should  not  all  be 
given  to  the  leads,  but  should  be  distributed  among 
the  characters  as  every  good  play  directs.  In  a  good 
play,  the  leading  part  does  not  monopolize  all  the 
good  business.  It  may  have  a  major  portion  center 
around  the  hero  or  heroine,  but  it  vv^ould  be  unbalanced 
and  unreal  to  make  him  the  center  of  attention  at  all 
times.  Wherever  this  is  done  it  is  usually  the  fault 
of  a  conceited,  pampered  star  who  imagines  the  public 
cares  nothing  about  any  part  of  the  play  except  his,  so 
he  makes  every  bit  of  business  pertain  to  him  and 
"cuts"  all  that  might  lead  the  attention  to  others  of 
the  cast.  A  good  director  will  see  to  it  that  every 
character  of  the  play  has  many  opportunities  to  make 
his  part  a  recognized  factor  in  the  play  as  a  whole. 

In  these  last  few  rehearsals  for  "polish"  the  director 


ACTING  75 

should  watch  carefully  the  minutest  detail  in  line  in- 
terpretation and  business,  and  wherever  possible  he 
should  correct  the  imperfections.  He  should  add  a 
touch  here  and  there  for  new  personal  color  if  it  will 
make  the  scene  more  intimate  and  life-like.  Business 
that  has  not  developed  well  or  proved  effective  may 
be  eliminated  and  other  business  substituted.  Even  a 
change  in  an  entrance  or  a  cross  or  turn  may  be  made 
at  the  last  moment,  if  the  strengthening  of  the  scene 
demands,  but  as  a  rule  the  fewer  changes  the  better. 
There  should  be  no  changes  back  and  forth.  If  the 
director,  for  instance,  is  undecided  as  to  whether  the 
actor  should  go  to  the  back  of  a  certain  chair  or  sit  at 
tiie  foot  of  the  lounge,  let  him  give  one  direction  and 
continue  rehearsals  for  that  until  he  is  sure  it  should 
be  changed.  Then  toward  the  last  it  can  be  changed 
without  difficulty,  but  if  on  one  day  he  thinks  the 
back  of  the  chair  best,  then  on  the  next  day  changes 
to  the  foot  of  the  lounge,  and  finally  after  seesawing 
for  several  rehearsals,  changes  back  to  the  original 
position,  the  beginner  in  acting  will  be  so  confused 
there  is  no  telling  what  he  may  do  at  the  final  produc- 
tion. The  director  must  decide  upon  one  way  and 
keep  that  until  he  is  sure  it  will  not  do,  then  he  ma\- 
change  to  the  other,  but  a  third  change  to  the  same 
piece  of  business  is  confusing. 

Many  things  could  be  said  regarding  the  proper 
way  to  shake  hands  in  greeting  or  in  farewell,  the 
attitude  of  consoling  one  in  grief,  or  one's  bearing  in 
making  love,  but  these  things  are  best  left  to  the  tact- 
ful and  cultured  director  whose  good  taste  will  enable 


^(y  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

him  to  see  what  is  and  what  is  not  fitting  in  such 
cases.  It  may  not  be  out  of  place,  however,  to  say 
that  a  love  scene  must  be  acted  iust  right  or  the  whole 
play  will  be  tolerantly  called  "amateur."  Young  peo- 
ple are  so  self-conscious  when  it  comes  to  acting  a  love 
scene  that  it  is  hard  to  get  results  that  will  not  look 
stilted  or  else  over-done  and  sentimental.  In  the  first 
place  the  director  must  make  clear  that  an  audience 
will  not  make  fun  of  the  actor  who  does  not  reveal 
himself  in  the  scene.  The  moment  an  actor  becomes 
conscious  of  himself  and  acts  embarrassed  the  spell  is 
broken.  Love  scenes  should  not  be  ridiculously  sen- 
timental, but  on  the  other  hand  there  must  be  no  hes- 
itancy to  embrace  or  to  give  the  stage  kiss,  if  that  is 
what  the  part  calls  for.  The  audience  will  ridicule 
the  half-way  attempts  at  love  making  when  obviously 
the  part  calls  for  a  full  representation.  The  stage 
director  should  make  clear  that  the  audience  is  not  to 
think  of  the  player  but  of  the  character  he  represents. 
If  the  actors  show  hesitation  and  embarrassment  then 
the  attention  of  the  audience  reverts  to  the  players 
themselves  and  the  characters  represented  are  lost  for 
the  moment. 

The  success  of  love  scenes  depends  almost  wholly 
upon  the  director.  If  he  is  a  man  of  taste  and  discre- 
tion, he  will  see  to  it  that  his  players  are  not  needlessly 
embarrassed  in  first  rehearsal.  Later,  when  the  spirit 
of  the  scene  is  felt  thoroughly,  the  action  should  be 
introduced  and  all  embarrassment  dispelled  immedi- 
ately by  calling  the  attention  of  the  players  to  the  fact 
that  they  are  not  amateurs ;  that  they  are  representing 


ACTING  ^^ 

two  serious  people  in  a  scene  calling  for  the  utmost 
delicacy  of  treatment ;  that  any  attempt  at  levity  or 
nonsense  in  the  beginning  is  a  serious  hindrance  to  the 
ultimate  success  of  the  scene,  and  that  its  effect  on 
the  audience  will  depend  upon  the  ease  and  lack  of 
self-consciousness  with  which  the  little  intimate 
touches — the  clasp  of  hand,  the  embrace  or  the  kiss — 
are  carried  out.  Many  directors  are  so  unwilling  to 
tell  the  players  to  kiss  that  they  will  change  the  stage 
business,  or  what  is  worse,  introduce  a  salute  so  ab- 
surdly unlike  the  real  caress  that  the  audience  notices 
the  inconsistency  and  laughs  at  ''the  amateurish 
trick."  Such  scenes  are  no  place  for  false  ideas  of 
propriety  and  convention.  While  there  is  rarely  need 
for  an  actual  kiss,  there  is  frequently  necessity  for 
the  ''stage  kiss"  which  looks  exactly  like  a  real  one, 
and  can  be  given  without  in  the  least  offending  good 
taste  or  true  ideals  of  propriety.  The  director  should 
not  be  led  astray  by  the  prudish  notion  that  young 
l^eople  should  never  be  allowed  to  embrace  on  the 
stage.  Of  course,  beginners  should  not  be  launched 
into  plays  which  include  elaborate  love  scenes.  Much 
less  should  they  be  allowed  to  play  in  the  problem 
plays  of  the  day,  but  plays  offering  simple  situations 
calling  for  ordinary  salutations  and  caresses  may  be 
handled  with  ease  and  with  perfect  regard  for  con- 
vention. It  is  absurd,  for  instance,  when  a  scene  rep- 
resenting a  father  returning  to  his  daughter  after  a 
long  al)sence,  is  portrayed  by  the  two  people  standing 
lliree  feet  apart  and  gravely  shaking  hands.  It  is 
hardlv  less  ridiculous  to  see  the  father  make  the  initial 


78  DRAxMATlC  INTERPRETATION 

movement  toward  offering  the  kiss  and  then  rest  his 
chin  on  her  shoulder  and  put  his  nose  in  her  back 
hair  while  her  face  wholly  visible  to  the  audience  re- 
mains as  surely  unkissed  as  that  of  the  old  maid  in 
King  Dodo.  If  the  embrace  and  salute  are  made  sim- 
ply and  without  hesitation,  the  audience  will  like  the 
scene  and  never  think  of  laughing  at  the  players.  It 
should  be  remembered  that  an  embrace  at  arm's  length 
is  impossible.  There  are,  of  course,  many  situations 
requiring  merely  the  laying  of  the  hands  on  the 
shoulders,  but  where  a  real  embrace  would  naturally 
be  effected  in  real  life,  such  as  the  caress  between 
father  and  daughter,  husband  and  wife,  or  mother  and 
son,  a  real  embrace  is  necessary  on  the  stage.  If  the 
characters  represented  are  supposed  to  be  lovers  or  a 
couple  just  becoming  engaged,  the  manner  of  the  em- 
brace or  the  caress  should  be  much  more  formal 
(unless,  of  course,  the  scene  is  broad  comedy),  but  it 
should  not  be  stiff  or  unnatural. 

Many  people  criticize  the  realistic  presentation  of 
love  scenes  on  the  ground  that  it  is  not  safe  for  young 
people ;  that  it  leads  to  unconventional  habits,  and  that 
the  participants  of  such  scenes  are  liable  to  think  they 
are  actually  in  love.  To  this  let  it  be  said  that  if  the 
director  is  a  man  of  right  principles  and  sound  peda- 
gogy, he  will  know  his  players  and  will  not  cast  the 
sentimental,  susceptible  young  people  in  these  scenes. 
Young  people  of  good  sense  will  be  taught  poise,  self- 
control  and  dignity  through  the  training  offered  in 
love  scenes,  and  later  in  real  life  they  will  use  better 
judgment  for  having  had  this  systematic  training  on 
the  stage. 


ACTING  79 

The  Dress  Rehearsal  with  Effects. — The  purpose 
of  the  dress  rehearsal  is  to  accustom  the  player  to  his 
dress  ;  to  acquaint  him  with  the  dimensions  of  the  final 
set  and  readjust  himself  to  distances,  location  of  the 
furniture  and  the  exits ;  to  gauge  the  time  for  quick 
changes  of  costume,  and  to  handle  the  properties  that 
have  not  hcen  available  before  dress  rehearsal,  such  as 
swords,  shields,  guns,  etc.,  which  rccjuirc  special  at- 
tention. All  the  business  of  disposing  of  hats,  over- 
coats and  wraps  must  be  watched  carefully  for  often 
a  slight  mistake  in  removing  a  coat  or  placing  a  hat 
on  the  hatrack  will  ruin  the  effect  of  a  scene. 

Since  the  first  rehearsals  have  been  conducted  on  a 
larger  scale  of  distances  than  the  final  set  of  the 
scene,  all  the  action  now  at  the  dress  rehearsal  be- 
comes more  concentrated  and  hence  more  effective. 
It  is  much  easier  to  express  power  in  the  rendition  of 
a  line  while  walking  three  feet  than  to  speak  the  same 
line  while  walking  six  or  eight  feet.  For  instance,  in 
previous  rehearsals  let  us  suppose  the  distance  from 
the  firei)lace,  left,  to  the  sofa,  right,  has  been 
eighteen  feet.  The  young  man  standing  by  the  fire- 
place has  been  told  to  walk  suddenly  over  to  the  girl 
on  the  sofa  and  speak  more  intently.  He  has  been 
practising  the  speech  and  the  sudden  stride  over  ap- 
proximately fifteen  feet.  Now  in  the  dress  rehearsal, 
the  distance  is  but  a  little  over  nine  feet.  What  is  the 
result?  The  sudden  movement  becomes  more  abrupt, 
the  speech  more  concentrated  in  time  and  intensit}'. 

The  dress  rehearsal  gives  the  first  opportunity  for 
the  actors  to  work  with  the  staqe  mechanic  and  with 


8o  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

the  timing  of  their  lines  with  the  actual  working  of  the 
effects  including  the  light  changes  and  the  accompany- 
ing sounds  back  of  the  scenes. 

At  the  dress  rehearsal  the  prompter  should  be  on 
hand  in  the  Right  Tormentor  entrance,  and  he  should 
be  instructed  to  keep  his  eyes  on  the  lines  at  all  times. 
His  responsibility  should  not  be  divided  with  the  direct- 
or's or  the  stage  manager's.  His  work  is  to  be  ready 
to  prompt  the  line  that  might  fail  to  be  remembered. 
The  director  should  see  to  the  calls,  the  entrances,  the 
rings  and  knocks,  the  light  cues  and  the  business  of 
the  effects  while  the  stage  manager  should  have  the 
responsibility  of  the  furniture,  the  scenery  and  the 
properties  that  are  to  be  in  place  at  the  opening  of  the 
act. 

The  dress  rehearsal  should  not  be  the  final  rehears- 
al. There  should  be  at  least  a  rehearsal  of  certain 
scenes  that  went  badly  at  the  dress  rehearsal.  Certain 
corrections  will  appear  necessary,  for  the  students  are 
unaccustomed  to  the  real  stage  and  its  dimensions,  and 
they  should  have  opportunity  to  work  out  the  little 
problems  that  appeared  for  the  first  time  in  the  dress 
rehearsal.  Many  directors  are  superstitiously  willing 
to  leave  the  final  performances  to  chance,  and  quote 
the  ridiculous  old  saying  that  "a  rotten  dress  rehearsal 
insures  a  good  performance."  It  is  much  safer  to  go 
over  some  of  the  scenes  that  were  "rotten"  in  dress 
rehearsal  and  give  the  students  a  chance  to  improve 
them. 

Final  Rehearsal. — The  final  rehearsal  should  be 
held  the  dav  after  the  dress  rehearsal  and  should  be 


ACTING  8i 

devoted  solely  to  the  correcting  of  errors  made  at  the 
dress  rehearsal.  Old  business  or  directions  should  not 
be  considered.  Words  of  encouragement  when  they 
are  deserved  should  be  given,  and  the  director  should 
not  feel  that  it  is  necessary  to  curse  and  swear  at  the 
actors  who  make  mistakes  at  a  dress  rehearsal.  Some 
directors  who  do  so,  make  the  excuse  that  it  puts  the 
actors  on  their  mettle.  As  a  matter  of  fact  pessimism 
or  loss  of  temper  on  the  part  of  the  director  can  do 
more  harm  than  the  lack  of  a  final  rehearsal  may  in- 
flict. It  should  be  remembered  that  it  is  not  necessary 
for  the  director  to  make  the  cast  hate  him  in  order  to 
get  professional  results.  Such  a  conception  is  the  out- 
growth of  ignorance  and  stupidity.  If  courteous  criti- 
cisms do  not  make  the  student  honestly  set  to  work  to 
overcome  his  faults,  it  is  better  that  he  be  dismissed 
at  once  from  the  cast.  It  is  the  duty  of  every  director 
to  use  the  utmost  patience  in  helping  the  discouraged 
member  to  revive  interest  and  apply  himself  to  more 
difficult  work. 

A  Final  Word. — Before  closing  the  discussion  on 
Acting  a  final  word  must  be  said  regarding  the  literal 
reproduction  of  the  text  which  contains  profanity  and 
coarse  expressions.  It  sometimes  happens  that  a  char- 
acter is  supposed  to  be  unrefined  or  even  downright 
evil  and  that  his  language  abounds  in  epithets  and 
unpleasant  phrases.  The  beginner,  if  he  has  been 
brought  up  in  an  atmosphere  of  refinement,  naturally 
hesitates  to  use  some  of  the  coarser  expressions  and 
asks  the  director  what  to  do  about  them.  At  this 
point  the  director  must  use  the  greatest  care  and  judg- 


82  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

ment.  Where  an  experienced  actor  might  carry  off 
the  scene  without  reflection  upon  his  own  good  taste, 
the  beginner  is  apt  to  ruin  the  scene  and  at  the  same 
time  his  own  reputation  by  his  lack  of  power  to  create 
the  character  apart  from  himself.  Aluch  difficulty 
may  be  overcome  if  the  director  is  a  good  judge  of 
people,  for  he  will  not  cast  a  timid,  self-conscious  actor 
in  such  a  part.  Plays  that  abound  in  profanity  should 
never  be  selected  for  beginners.  There  are  plenty  of 
good  plays  which  deal  in  refined  characters  and  situa- 
tions so  that  the  director  need  not  feel  compelled  to 
choose  the  type  that  caters  to  unrefined  tastes.  When, 
however,  it  seerns  necessary  to  represent  a  character 
that  is  somewhat  rough  in  contrast  to  the  others,  the 
director  can  almost  always  reduce  the  unpleasant  ex- 
pressions to  the  minimum  and  still  keep  the  suggestion 
of  the  character.  One  should  not  be  too  prudish 
about  the  occasional  use  of  'Mamn"  and  ''hell/'  These 
words  are  not  actually  profane,  and  although  they 
sometimes  have  an  unpleasant  effect  on  refined  ears, 
they  are  no  worse  than  "darn"  or  ''hades"  which  are 
sometimes  substituted  in  a  weak  and  ridiculouslv 
effeminate  manner.  Either  the  words  should  be 
omitted  altogether  or  else  used  as  they  appear  in  the 
text.  The  use  of  terms  referring  to  the  Deity  must 
certainly  be  viewed  in  a  different  light.  There  is  very 
rarely  need  of  actual  blasphemy  on  the  stage,  and  it 
may  be  stated  as  a  well  established  principle  that  plays 
requiring  such  irreverence  should  not  be  accepted  for 
beginners.  It  is  not  necessary  to  remark  that  vulgar 
or  obscene  language  is  never  excusable  on  the  stage. 


ACTING  83 

There  are,  however,  false  notions  as  to  what  are  im- 
proper expressions  and  it  is  on  record  that  one  prud- 
ish and  falsely  modest  director  of  dramatics  objected 
to  the  words  "leg''  and  '"nightgown"  and  asked  her 
students  to  substitute  the  words  ''limb"  and  "robe-dc- 
nuit"  in  order  that  the  performance  might  be  refined. 
Common  sense  and  natural  purity  of  soul  will  discrim- 
inate between  objectionable  words  and  words  that  are 
only  made  wrong  by  false  standards  of  propriety  and 
culture. 

One  of  the  beautiful  features  of  stage  directing  is 
the  creating  of  pictures  in  the  scenes — the  grouping  of 
characters  so  that  there  is  constant  balance  and  at  the 
same  time  variety  in  the  pose  of  different  groups.  To 
make  the  groups  seem  natural  and  to  keep  up  the 
action  of  the  scene  at  the  same  time  while  the  pictures 
are  ever  changing  and  taking  different  forms,  is  the 
aim  of  every  truly  artistic  director. 

Finally,  let  it  be  remembered  that  the  difference 
between  real  amateur  productions  and  the  professional 
student  production  should  exist  in  the  method  of  train- 
ing and  not  in  the  result  at  the  public  performance  of 
the  play. 


PART  TWO 
Reading 


CHAPTER  VII 

GENERAL   DISCUSSION 

Definition  of  Reading. — The  art  of  Reading  refers 
to  all  that  class  of  presentation  on  the  platform  by  one 
person  without  the  aid  of  special  scenery,  properties, 
stai^e  furniture,  special  costumes,  make-up  or  mechani- 
cal effects  of  any  kind,  and  is  always  distinguished 
from  One  Character  Acting  by  the  absence  of  these 
accessories. 

The  Relationship  of  Reading  to  Acting. — (i.)  The 
Arts  Themselves.  While  Acting  has  been  already  dis- 
cussed as  the  art  of  choosing  essential  details  in  the 
production  of  a  realistic  impression, /Reading  will  be 
considered  as  the  art  of  choosing  from  essential  details 
the  kind  and  number  necessary  to  produce  an  imagina- 
tive and  general  impression  capable  of  being  inter- 
preted according  to  the  individual  experiences  of  the 
auditors^  The  number  and  kind  of  details  chosen  are 
determined  largely  by  the  type  of  reading  to  be 
presented. 

In  all  the  discussion  which  follows  relative  to  the 
art  of  the  Reader,  it  is  to  be  understood  that  but  one 
person  is  concerned  in  the  rendition  of  any  piece  of 
literature.  In  leaving  the  subject  of  Acting,  we  have 
left  all  forms  of  ensemble  or  company  performance, 
and  are  concerned  solely  with  the  work  of  a  single 
individual,  man  or  woman,  on  the  platform. 

87 


88  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

In  speaking  of  ''the  platform"  we  refer  to  the  bare 
space  occupied  by  the  Reader,  in  contradistinction  to 
the  ''stage"  which  always  presupposes  a  larger  space 
appropriately  furnished  with  tables,  chairs,  settees, 
and  three  walls  with  doors  and  windows  or  back  drop 
curtains  and  wings  representing  an  exterior  scene. 
The  platform  may  be  entirely  bare  or  may  have  for 
convenience  a  plain  chair  or  two  and  a  small  stand. 
These  articles  of  furniture,  however,  never  become  an 
integral  part  of  a  scene,  and  are  merely  used  to  give 
a  pleasant,  comfortable  background  for  the  speaker. 
(2.)  The  Artists  Compared.  There  are  still  many 
readers  and  teachers  of  elocution  who  make  no  distinc- 
tion between  the  Reader  and  the  Actor  or  their  respec- 
tive arts,  and  who  are  constantly  confusing  them  in 
the  attempt  to  entertain  their  audiences.  It  should  be 
understood  that  from  the  very  nature  of  things,  the 
Reader  is  limited  in  what  he  may  do  in  presenting 
literature  which  normally  requires  several  persons  and 
a  force  of  stage  mechanics  to  produce.  A  brief  resume 
of  the  province  of  the  Actor  and  the  Reader  at  this 
point  will  assist  in  keeping  in  mind  the  relative  require- 
ments of  their  art. 

The  Actor  is  always  one  eharaeter,  and  remains  that 
one  character  in  make-up  and  appropriate  costume 
throughout  the  play ;  he  uses  all  properties  described 
and  indicated  to  be  included  in  the  play,  and  more 
often  than  not,  he  is  assisted  by  other  persons  in  the 
performance.  The  Reader,  on  the  other  hand,  may 
represent  one  or  many  characters  during  the  rendition 
of  any  type  of  literature,  always,  however,   holding 


READING  89 

himself  in  readiness  to  change  instantly  from  one 
character  to  another,  or  in  almost  the  same  breath  to 
assume  direct  address  or  narration  in  giving  explana- 
tory matter  to  his  audience;  he  never  uses  properties, 
make-up,  costumes,  etc.,  and  he  is  ncicr  assisted  by 
others  in  the  presentation  of  literature. 

While  it  is  occasionally  true  that  an  actor  some- 
times encroaches  on  the  reader's  art,  yet  it  is  not 
objectionable  nor  confusing  to  the  audience.  For 
instance,  the  actor  tries  sometimes  to  be  intensely  im- 
aginative and  to  do  a  great  deal  of  suggesting  (on  his 
part).  This  is,  of  course,  perfectly  legitimate  in  his 
individual  work  of  facial  expression  and  gesture,  if  it 
is  not  obviously  inconsistent  with  the  arrangement  of 
the  play.  When,  however,  the  other  actors  and  sur- 
roundings are  realistic  and  the  atmosphere  is  realistic, 
it  is  not  likely  the  audience  will  suspect  the  subtler 
suggestions,  and  of  course  will  miss  them  if  they  are 
given.  Sheridan's  The  Critic  is  an  admirable  example 
of  the  absurdity  in  overdoing  the  suggestivencss  in 
the  play.  Puff,  Sneer  and  Dangle  are  witnessing 
Puff's  latest  play,  and  as  one  of  the  characters  enters, 
shakes  his  head,  and  exits  without  a  word,  Sneer  says 
to  Puff, 

Siiccr:  What  did  he  mean  by  shaking  his  head  so? 

Ptiff:  Why,  by  the  shake  of  his  head  he  gave  you 
to  understand  that  even  though  they  had  more 
justice  in  their  cause  and  wisdom  in  their 
measure — yet,  if  there  was  not  a  greater  spirit 
shown  on  the  part  of  the  people,  the  country 


90  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

would   at   last    fall   a   sacrifice   to   the  hostile 

ambition  of  the  Spanish  monarchy. 
Sneer:  The  devil !     Did  he  mean  all  that  by  the  shake 

of  his  head? 
Puff:     Every  word  of  it — if  he  shook  it  as  I  taught 

him. 

On  the  other  hand  the  actor  would  be  overdoing 
the  realism  if  he  were  to  indicate  by  a  lir.c  Ihat  he 
would  sit  in  a  certain  spot  for  two  hours,  and  then 
straightway  do  so  while  the  audience  waited. 

The  reader,  in  turn,  encroaches  on  the  actor's  art 
when  he  brings  in  properties,  make-up  or  special  cos- 
tumes in  a  selection  requiring  several  characters  to  be 
represented.  A  striking  example  of  such  an  encroach- 
ment occurs  in  the  case  of  a  rather  prominent  reader 
of  Wilson  Barrett's  The  Sign  of  the  Cross.  The 
young  woman  appears  in  the  costume  of  Mercia,  with 
long  flowing  hair  and  a  band  of  ribbon  around  her 
head.  She  carries  a  crucifix  appending  from  a  string 
of  beads  hung  about  her  neck.  Naturally  while  she  is 
speaking  the  lines  of  Mercia,  no  great  inconsistency 
appears,  but  when  the  audience  is  expected  to  see  the 
villain  Tigilenus  stalk  about  in  that  same  flowing 
gown  and  loose  hair,  and  the  next  moment  readjust 
its  imagination  in  order  to  conceive  the  manly  but 
pagan  Marcus  decorated  by  the  beads  and  crucifix,  it 
is  liable  to  be  more  or  less  confused  in  the  picture. 
Such  a  performance  is  inconsistent  from  two  points  of 
view :  First,  it  is  no  compliment  to  an  intelligent 
audience  to  assume  that  it  is  unable  to  understand  the 


READING  91 

character  of  Mercia  unless  she  appears  in  full  regalia, 
and  second,  it  is  rather  unfair  to  force  their  imagina- 
tion to  do  dotible  duty  and  be  obliged  to  undress  one 
character  before  conceiving  the  others.  Aside  from 
that,  the  reader  who  does  her  work  in  this  way  so 
confuses  realism  with  imagination  that  more  often 
than  not  the  audience  goes  home  with  a  very  hazy 
memory  of  beautiful  tones,  a  lovely  woman  of  the 
Middle  Ages,  a  crucifix,  and  a  rather  disconnected  idea 
of  the  story.  If  the  audience  is  an  intelligent  one  it 
will  understand  the  story  but  will  feel  uncompli- 
mented.  If  it  is  a  popular  audience,  it  will  be  affected 
by  the  emotion  and  the  sentiment  as  well  as  the  spec- 
tacular display  of  costume  and  graceful  action,  but  the 
literature  with  its  beauty  and  subtle  meaning  will  be 
lost  upon  them.  The  reader  may  appeal  to  the  imagi- 
nation of  the  popular  audience  as  well  as  to  the  culti- 
vated audience,  if  he  is  consistent  in  his  appeal.  It  is 
certainly  not  consistent  at  one  moment  to  require  no 
imagination  on  the  part  of  the  audience  while  holding 
up  the  real  crucifix,  and  the  next  moment  expect  the 
audience  to  see  Tigilenus  with  his  sword  held  aloft 
when  there  is  no  sword  to  be  seen!  It  is  far  easier 
to  lead  the  audience  to  imagine  both  crucifix  and 
sword.  Since  both  can  not  be  used  literally  and  since 
a  thousand  other  articles  mentioned  in  connection  with 
the  rendition  can  not  be  actually  shown,  it  is  far  more 
artistic  to  make  suggestion  inclusive  of  everything — 
costume  as  well : — and  allow  the  audience  to  imagine 
the  scene  apart  from  the  reader  herself. 

The  reader  should  not  attempt  to  be  an  actor  while 


/ 


92  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

reading. /ThQ  danger  of  inconsistency  and  even  ab- 
surdity in  presentation  is  too  great.  It  is  true  that 
perhaps  the  majority  of  people  in  an  audience  do  not 
realize  the  inconsistency,  and  it  is  just  as  true  that 
many  who  look  at  a  bad  painting  do  not  see  that  it 
may  be  out  of  perspective  or  inconsistent  in  its  lights 
and  shadows  or  inharmonious  in  color.  Yet  the  fact 
remains  that  it  is  bad  art.  That  the  audience  is  not 
conscious  of  its  loss,  is  no  reason  for  the  reader  to 
keep  up  the  deception.  While  the  reader  is  calling 
attention  to  such  accidentals  as  costume  and  property, 
and  constantly  exhibiting  movements  which  attract 
the  thought  to  the  mode  and  not  the  matter,  the  au- 
dience is  losing  all  the  finer  and  more  subtle  distinc- 
tions in  thought  and  emotion. 

One  or  two  other  examples  may  be  given  to  show 
how  the  audience  is  cheated  in  such  exhibitions. 

Several  years  ago  at  a  well-known  college  in  the 
East,  a  reading  of  Romeo  and  Juliet  was  advertised  to 
be  given  by  the  wife  of  one  of  the  instructors.  The 
young  woman  was  a  graduate  of  a  popular  school  of 
oratory,  and  her  appearance  was  anticipated  with  a 
great  deal  of  pleasure.  Imagine  the  surprise  of  the 
audience  when  they  saw  upon  the  rise  of  the  curtain 
a  rather  curious  framework  of  wood  covered  with 
white  muslin  and  representing  (after  a  moment's 
thought)  Juliet's  balcony  in  the  middle  of  a  perfectly 
bare  floor.  The  ingenious  piece  of  stage  carpentry 
stood  about  six  feet  high.  There  was  a  ripple  of 
laughter  over  the  audience  and  then  followed  a  hush 
for  the  young  woman  in  the  complete  costume  and 


READING  93 

make-up  of  Juliet  had  appeared.  To  describe  her 
antics  would  require  more  space  than  can  be  allotted 
to  this  illustration,  but  she  skipped  from  one  side  of 
the  stage  to  the  other  in  her  attempt  to  act  out  each 
character  in  his  crosses  and  little  inconsequential 
actions,  until  she  came  to  the  balcony  scene.  Here 
she  performed  her  greatest  feat  in  Japanese  equi- 
libration. vShe  dodged  into  the  little  umbrella-shaped 
balcony  and  spoke  Juliet's  impassioned  lines.  Then 
she  swung  out  and  around  and  down  on  her  knees  for 
Romeo — and  back  again  for  Juliet's  sigh !  When  it 
was  time  for  the  old  nurse  to  call  her,  she  put  her 
hand  to  her  mouth  (gracefully,  of  course)  and  shouted 
''Juliet !"  in  the  cracked  voice  of  an  octogenarian. 
Then,  as  Juliet  again,  in  blissful  repose  on  the  rail  of 
the  improvised  balcony,  she  sweetly  answered,  *'Anon !" 
Later  the  scene  with  Peter  and  the  nurse  called  forth 
the  young  woman's  powers  of  literal  characterization 
which  she  evidenced  by  waddling  clear  across  the 
stage  (still  in  Juliet's  costume  of  course)  in  a  repre- 
sentation of  the  stupid  Peter,  seating  herself  on  an 
upturned  pail  and  holding  conversation  (using  more 
back-hand  action)  with  the  old  nurse  supposedly 
behind  the  scene. 

At  the  close  of  the  exhibition  there  were  a  few  who 
felt  it  was  necessary  to  congratulate  the  performer, 
but  be  it  said  to  the  credit  of  that  college  audience, 
the  majority  present  were  disappointed.  A  year  or 
two  before,  one  of  America's  greatest  readers  had 
given  the  same  reading,  standing  (as  she  ought)  in 
the  middle  of  the  platform,  and  scarcely  moving  two 


94  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

steps  to  right  or  left  during  the  entire  rendition,  yet 
she  had  entranced  her  audience.  The  contrast  was  so 
great  and  the  memory  of  the  true  reading  so  vivid  that 
the  audience  as  a  whole  felt  they  had  been  cheated  in 
the  later  performance.  The  young  woman  herself  was 
not  so  much  to  blame.  She  had  been  taught  that  such 
exhibition  was  art  and  that  such  a  rendition  showed 
cleverness  and  versatility.  She  had  not  been  allowed 
to  use  her  own  judgment  and  therefore  could  not  see 
that  a  reader  can  not  encroach  upon  the  actor's  art 
without  serious  loss  to  the  audience. 

The  reader,  on  the  other  hand,  may  overdo  his  sug- 
gestion sometimes,  just  as  the  actor  in  sitting  still  two 
hours  while  the  audience  waits,  would  be  overdoing 
the  realism.  There  comes  to  mind  a  certain  teacher  of 
expression  who  once  offered  the  amazing  suggestion 
that  in  giving  Dickens'  Christmas  Carol  the  words  of 
the  Ghosts  should  never  be  spoken.  The  professor 
said  expressive  pantomime  should  be  manifested  by 
Scrooge  as  if  he  were  seeing  a  ghost  and  every  now 
and  then  Scrooge  should  shudder  and  say,  for  instance, 
"You  said  your  name  was  Marley?"  or  "You  said 
you  could  sit  down?"  In  other  words  the  professor 
would  rearrange  the  whole  scene  in  monologue  form 
because,  since  there  is  no  such  thing  as  a  ghost,  it 
should  be  merely  suggested!  In  the  course  of  conver- 
sation with  the  professor,  one  of  his  interested  listen- 
ers hinted  that  since  he  had  gone  so  far  in  the  mat- 
ter of  suggestion,  why  not  merely  lie  down  on  the 
stage  and  let  the  audience  imagine  all  of  Scrooge's 
dream !  This  seemed  to  be  about  the  last  word  in  lead- 
ing an  audience  to  an  imaginative  understanding. 


READING  95 

The  reader  often  makes  the  same  mistake  in  judging 
the  actor  that  the  actor  makes  in  judging  the  reader. 
He  says,  "The  actor's  work  is  simple,  very  simple — 
why  anybody  can  do  this — make  this  or  that  face — get 
down  on  all  fours,  etc.,  but  it_  requir£s_arf  to  be  a 
reader r  The  actor  in  turn  depreciates  the  reader 
"because,"  he  says,  "the  reader  is  too  elocutionary," 
whatever  that  is.  "Anybody,"  he  continues,  "can  get 
up  and  recite  with  a  big  voice  and  graceful  gestures 
Curfciir  Must  Not  Ring  To-night,  but  it  requires  art 
to  take  the  point  of  view  of  a  character  totally  unlike 
yourself  and  maintain  it  consistently  throughout  a 
play."  Both  are  right  and  both  are  wrong.  Each  is 
right  in  saying  that  it  takes  art  to  do  the  work  he 
champions.  Each  is  wrong  in  depreciating  the  other's 
art  and  calling  it  simple  and  easy  for  anybody.  They 
are  two  different  arts  and  require  different  develop- 
ment, but  they  are  both  art. 

In  Part  Three  of  this  book,  methods  of  study  in  the 
two  arts  will  be  suggested,  and  it  will  be  shown  that 
the  reader's  art  grows  out  of  the  actor's  art. 

The  Three  Types  of  Presentation  for  the  Reader. 
— (i.)  Personating.  Personating  will  be  shown  in  a 
later  chapter  as  the  nearest  approach  to  acting  a  reader 
may  make  without  encroaching  upon  the  art  of  the 
actor.  It  is  not  to  be  confused  with  the  original  mean- 
ing of  the  term  which  applied  to  the  actor  in  his 
assumption  of  a  character,  but  is  to  be  understood  in 
all  the  discussion  of  the  text  to  refer  to  the  art  of  the 
reader  and  Jiot  to  that  of  the  actor. 
(2.)  ImpersonatiTe  Reading.  Impersonative  Read- 
ing is  the  intermediate  step  between  Personating  and 


96  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

Pure  Reading.  Here  the  method  of  presentation  is 
very  much  less  reaUstic  and  correspondingly  more 
suggestive  than  personating.  It  is  the  kind  of  presen- 
tation best  adapted  to  all  sorts  of  comedy  and  character 
readings  and  will  be  discussed  in  a  chapter  exclusively 
devoted  to  this  type  of  treatment. 
(^.)  Pure  Reading.  Pure  Reading  is  the  highest 
type  of  suggestive  presentation  and  will  be  discussed 
in  connection  with  the  rendition  of  the  classics  and 
all  higher  forms  of  literature  appreciated  for  their 
beauty  of  thought  and  composition. 

The  Determining  Factors  in  Making  the  Subdi- 
visions.— (i.)  The  Author's  Purpose.  It  has  been 
shown  that  most  literature  in  play  form  was  intended 
for  acting,  for  the  very  nature  of  the  stage  directions 
and  the  constant  mention  of  properties  to  be  used, 
demonstrate  that  the  author's  purpose  was  to  have 
actors  present  a  realistic  performance  with  complete 
scenery  and  stage  equipment.  Therefore,  in  the  case 
of  a  play,  if  we  follow  the  author's  purpose  we  shall 
be  obliged  to  produce  it  with  a  company  of  actors  in 
appropriate  surroundings.  A  reader,  however,  if  he 
chooses  to  present  a  play  must  frankly  depart  from 
the  author's  purpose  since  it  is  obviously  impossible 
for  one  person  to  do  all  that  the  author  requires.  By 
changing  the  form  of  the  composition  from  pure  dia- 
logue to  descriptive  dialogue  in  the  present  tense,  a 
reader  may  present  it  thus  transformed  into  a  Charac- 
ter Play  or  a  Reading  Play,  choosing  to  make  promi- 
nent the  mood  or  the  characterization  of  the  piece 
rather  than  the  scene  or  the  complete  action.    Ordinar- 


READING  97 

ily  it  is  to  be  understood,  then,  that  the  author's  original 
purpose  is  disregarded  when  a  play  is  to  be  presented 
by  a  reader.  In  all  other  forms  of  literature,  however, 
the  author's  purpose  should  be  the  first  consideration 
of  the  reader  in  order  to  determine  which  type  of  the 
reader's  art  is  best  suited  to  the  selection  under  all 
normal  conditions. 

There  are  three  key  words,  or  phrases,  which  may 
be  used  to  indicate  the  author's  purpose  found  in  the 
different  forms  of  literary  composition  available  for 
the  reader's  art.  They  are:  Literal  Action,  Eccentric  or 
Comedy  Characterization  and  Mood.  If  a  certain 
piece  of  composition  shows  unmistakably  that  the 
author  intended  literal  action  to  be  the  most  important 
factor  in  its  delivery,  the  reader  knows  that  personat- 
ing is  the  type  of  presentation  he  should  use ;  if,  how- 
ever, the  selection  does  not  indicate  that  literal  action 
is  necessary  but  that  eccentric  or  comedy  characteriza- 
tion was  the  purpose,  the  reader  will  use  hnpersonative 
reading,  but  if  neither  literal  action  nor  eccentric 
characterization  is  important,  there  remains  only  the 
expression  of  mood  as  the  essential  feature  of  the 
piece,  and  the  reader  should  present  it  through  pure 
reading. 

(2.)  The  Literary  Composition.  There  are  seven 
distinct  forms  of  literary  composition  which,  singly  or 
in  combination,  help  the  student  to  recognize  the  sev- 
eral types  of  selection  suitable  for  the  reader. 

Exposition  and  Argumentation  are  not  adapted  to 
the  presentation  by  a  reader  so  in  these  pages  no 
further  mention  of  them  will  be  made. 


98  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

Narration  and  Description  are  already  faniiliar  to 
the  student  of  English,  and  these  two  general  forms 
embrace  the  specific  forms  known  more  intimately  by 
the  public  reader  a^  soliloquy,  implied  dialogue,  direct 
address,  descriptive  dialogue,  pure  narration,  pure  de- 
scription and  lyric  composition.^^ 

The  first  three  forms  are  written  in  the  first  person 
and  always  represent  but  one  speaking  character.  If 
the  composition  represents  meditation,  or  soliloquy, 
the  selection  is  called  a  Soliloquy  (Personated  Solilo- 
quy, Character  Soliloquy  or  Reading  Soliloquy  accord- 
ing to  the  author's  purpose)  ;  if  it  is  implied  dialogue, 
or  composition  giving  but  one  side  of  a  supposed 
conversation,  the  selection  is  called  a  Monologue  (Per- 
sonated Monologue,  Character  Monologue  or  Reading 
Monologue  according  to  the  author's  purpose)  ;  if  di- 
rect address  in  which  a  comedy  or  eccentric  speaker 
is  represented  as  talking  directly  to  a  supposed 
audience,  it  is  an  Eccentric  Address  (a  normal  charac- 
ter speaking  would  classify  the  piece  under  Declama- 
tion which  really  belongs  in  the  field  of  oratory  rather 
than  in  reading)  ;  if  the  composition  comprises  a 
series  of  eccentric  addresses  or  single  uninterrupted 
speeches,  connected  by  explanatory  matter  into  one 
theme,  the  selection  is  a  Character  Series. 

The  aforementioned  three  forms  of  literary  com- 
position are  the  only  forms  that  may  be  given  consist- 
ently through  personating,  and  then  only  when  the 
author's  purpose  denotes  literal  action  as  the  predom- 


'''See  Appendix   for   specific   definition. 


READING  99 

Inating  requirement.  The  other  four  forms  are  the 
forms  best  adapted  to  iiitpcrsouatn-c  reading  or  pure 
reading  and  may  be  found  in  either  the  first  or  third 
person.  If  the  composition  is  descriptive  dialogue 
(narration  containing  conversations  interwoven  with 
descriptive  phrases  or  paragraphs  of  pure  narration) 
the  selection  is  either  a  Character  Narrative  or  a  Nar- 
rative Reading  according  to  the  author's  purpose;  if 
the  composition  is  pure  narration  or  pure  description, 
it  is  respectively  Narrative  Reading  or  Descriptive 
Reading,  If  the  composition  is  in  any  of  the  forego- 
ing forms,  but  is  idealistic  and  universal  in  its  appeal, 
representing  a  universal  mood  rather  than  the  mood 
of  any  particular  individual,  it  is  lyric  and  is  called  a 
Lyric  Reading. 

Besides  the  seven  forms  of  composition  suitable  to 
the  reader,  we  have  already  mentioned  the  pure  dia- 
logue form  existent  only  in  plays  for  acting.  This 
form,  however,  may  be  changed  to  descriptive  dia- 
logue for  the  reader  and  the  selection  is  then  called  a 
Character  Play  or  a  Reading  Play  according  to  the 
author's  purpose. 

(^.)  Method  of  Classifying  a  Selection  Quickly. 
When  the  reader  examines  a  selection  with  a  view  to 
presentation,  he  may  proceed  logically  in  the  following 
manner :  Let  us  suppose  that  the  selection  is  a  scene 
from  Julius  Cccsar.  Since  the  form  is  pure  dialogue, 
we  see  at  once  the  author's  original  purpose  was  to 
present  it  through  acting,  with  scenes  and  all  accesso- 
ries. The  reader,  recognizing  his  limitations,  will  dis- 
regard the  author's  purpose  and  see  for  himself  what 


lOO         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

the  next  important  factors  are.  Since  more  than  one 
character  is  represented  in  speech,  the  reader  will  see 
that  he  can  not  consistently  give  the  selection  through 
personating,  so  he  next  asks  himself  whether  the  chief 
characters  are  sufficiently  eccentric  to  warrant  im- 
personative  reading.  Obviously  Csesar,  Brutus,  An- 
tony, Cassius,  etc.,  are  normal  characters,  so  the 
reader  decides  that  after  changing  the  pure  dialogue 
to  present  tense,  descriptive  dialogue,  he  will  present 
the  play  through  pure  reading. 

Let  us  take  another  example — an  arrangement  from 
Hamlet  giving  merely  the  meditation  speech  of  Ham- 
let. The  form  of  composition  is  soliloquy.  Since  the 
arrangement  is  originally  from  a  pure  dialogue  to  be 
acted,  the  reader  might  be  tempted  to  become  the  actor 
for  the  time  and  present  the  selection  in  a  complete 
setting.  There  would  be  nothing  inconsistent  in  this 
at  all.  However,  in  studying  the  selection  further,  the 
reader  realizes  that  in  this  particular  excerpt  from  the 
play,  nothing  but  Hamlet's  great  mood  is  actually 
necessary,  so  he  decides  to  present  it  through  pure 
reading. 

One  more  example  may  be  helpful.  The  selection 
is  Mark  Twain's  Our  Guides.  The  form  of  composi- 
tion is  descriptive  dialogue  in  narration  and  is  written 
in  the  first  person.  Since  it  is  in  first  person,  the 
reader's  first  thought  is  that  it  may  be  implied  dia- 
logue or  direct  address.  Reading  further,  however, 
lie  sees  that  the  narrator  is  not  important  in  a  present 
tense  situation  or  as  an  eccentric  character  telling  a 
tale,  neither  is  literal  action  called  for,  so  the  reader 


reading;  :oi 

decides  that  personating"  will  not  be  necessary.  In  tlie 
narration  there  appear  two  eccentric  characters  in 
conversation  and  since  the  narrator  himself  is  so  unim- 
portant that  the  tale  could  as  well  be  told  in  the  third 
person,  the  selection  is  immediately  classed  as  a  Char- 
acter Narrative  and  should  be  given  through  iiupcr- 
sonatirc  reading.'^ 

General  Limitations  in  Attitude  and  in  Sex. — 
(i.)  Bearing  in  Reading  (Pure  or  luipersonative) 
Compared  to  Bearing  in  Personating.  The  reader 
while  personating  is  not  so  severely  limited  in  his  bear- 
ing as  he  is  in  reading.  He  may  walk  about  the  plat- 
form assuming  literally  the  gait  of  the  character 
represented ;  he  may  sit,  rise,  kneel,  fall,  jump,  skip 
or  dance ;  he  may  do  all  the  literal  and  realistic  action 
that  an  actor  would  accomplish  except  to  turn  his  back 
completely  on  his  audience  or  to  lie  down  upon  the 
platform.  These  latter  movements  are  never  required 
of  personating,  for  personating  is  a  shade  more  imag- 
inative than  acting  and  requires  the  constant  command 
of  the  speaker  over  the  audience,  an  accomplishment 
which  would  be  jeopardized  w^ere  he  to  turn  his  back 
completely  or  were  he  to  come  so  far  off  his  dignity 
as  to  lie  down  on  the  floor — or  even  on  a  settee  if  such 
a  piece  of  furniture  were  permitted.  The  actor  is  not 
so  limited  because  the  scenery  surroundings  and  the 


*See  Diagram  A  in  the  Introduction,  and  beginning  at  the 
left,  read  toward  the  right,  applying  the  test  to  each  division, 
eliminating  in  order  the  ke3--notes,  literal  action,  and  eccentric 
or  comedy  characterization,  until  mood  is  reached,  or  stop- 
ping at  the  division  whose  key-note  can  not  be  eliminated. 


io,2         Di^AMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

other  characters  present  may  command  the  attention 
of  the  audience.  The  dignity  of  the  actor  himself  is 
never  considered  apart  from  the  character  he  repre- 
sents, while  the  reader,  even  in  personating  is  never 
wholly  separated  from  his  own  personality  and  dignity 
as  a  reader. 

The  reader  while  reading,  either  impersonativcly  or 
purely,  is  limited  in  bearing  to  a  standing  position  fac- 
ing the  audience.  All  action  in  regard  to  carriage  and 
poise  is  mere  suggestion  except  the  actual  standing. 
He  never  walks  but  may  suggest  the  initial  movement 
by  a  mere  step  or  motion  of  the  foot  in  an  oblique 
forward  direction.  To  suggest  a  seated  position,  he 
merely  places  the  weight  on  the  back  foot  and  appears 
relaxed.  The  suggestion  of  opposition  in  speech — or 
two  people  facing  each  other  in  a  conversation — is 
indicated  by  the  slight  turn  of  the  body  to  the  right  or 
left  of  center  (never  a  wide  angle)  as  each  character 
alternately  speaks.  When  the  reader  gives  explanatory 
matter  to  the  audience  his  position  is  squarely  facing 
them  as  in  direct  address,  while  his  eyes  pass  from 
individual  to  individual  as  he  talks.  When  a  character 
is  supposed  to  speak,  his  eyes  do  not  see  the  audience 
but  focus  slightly  to  one  side  of  the  center  as  if  look- 
ing at  the  other  character. 

Much  could  be  said  about  the  angles  maintained  by 
a  reader  in  suggesting  the  position  of  several  charac- 
ters in  a  narrative  or  play,  but  such  matters  can  best 
be  left  to  the  discretion  and  good  taste  of  a  competent 
teacher.  It  may  be  sufficient  to  say  that  the  reader 
should    never    turn    squarely    to    the    left    and    then 


READING  103 

squarely  to  the  right  (presenting  a  profile  view  to  the 
audience)  while  indicating  two  characters  in  conversa- 
tion. It  is  enough  to  suggest  their  opposition  by  a 
slight  turn  of  the  head  and  trunk.  Often,  if  merely 
the  head  and  not  the  trunk  turns,  the  reader  uncon- 
sciously gives  to  the  character  a  suggestion  of  deceit 
or  indifference,  as  one  who  talks  over  his  shoulder. 
To  suggest  the  position  of  two  people  in  a  car  seat  or 
in  a  carriage  conversing,  the  head  and  not  the  trunk 
will  turn  to  indicate  actual  talking  over  the  shoulder. 
In  this  situation  the  angle,  of  course,  will  be  wide. 
To  suggest  one  speaking  from  a  reclining  position,  the 
only  indication  required  is  weight  on  the  back  leg, 
head  raised  rather  high  and  turned  slightly  to  one  side. 
For  the  reader  in  impersonative  reading  or  pure  read- 
ing it  is  never  necessary  to  do  more  than  indicate  by 
the  slightest  bodily  suggestion,  the  position  and  rela- 
tion of  characters  in  conversation. 
(2. J  Sex  Limitation  in  Personating  and  Reading. 
Obviously  the  actor  must  be  of  the  same  sex  as  the 
part  he  is  playing  unless  he  is  playing  a  comedy  role 
or  is  so  able  to  disguise  himself  in  make-up  and  voice 
that  the  audience  does  not  know  the  difference. 

In  personating,  however,  the  reader  may  be  of  either 
sex  in  any  kind  of  a  personation  uidcss  the  literal 
action  of  a  supposed  male  character  is  such  that  a  lady 
could  not  accomplish  without  vulgarity.  A  male 
reader  may  personate  either  sex,  but  a  lady  is  some- 
times limited  in  personating  a  man.  For  example, 
there  are  selections  representing  a  drunken  man  which 
a   man    may    personate    without    offending    the    good 


104         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

taste  of  any  one,  but  which  if  literally  personated  by 
a  woman  would  be  coarse  and  undesirable.  There  is 
rarely  any  action  of  the  most  eccentric  woman,  how- 
ever, that,  if  proper  at  all,  could  not  be  given  by  a 
man  impersonator. 

In  impersonative  reading  or  pure  reading,  the 
reader  is  not  limited  by  sex  at  all.  Since  suggestion 
is  the  fundamental  requisite  of  reading,  all  that  is 
necessary  to  be  suggested  can  be  done  by  either  sex 
without  a  thought  being  given  to  the  reader  himself. 

It  is  good  to  remember  that  the  reader  in  reading  is 
always  himself;  that  the  reader  in  personating  is  him- 
self in  the  background  but  some  one  else  in  the  fore- 
ground, and  that  the  actor  is  always  some  one  else. 


CHAPTER  VIII 


PERSONATING 


Definition  Elaborated. — Personating  is  the  most 
literal  and  least  suggestive  form  of  reading.  It  means 
first,  literal  action  without  the  aid  of  costume,  make- 
up, properties,  scenery  or  stage  accessories  of  any 
kind,  and  second,  it  means  literal  characterization  in 
voluntary  voice  changes  when  necessary.  When  per- 
sonating the  reader  may  walk  about  the  platform,  as- 
suming the  gait  and  movements  or  the  poise  of  the 
character  to  be  represented ;  he  may  complete  every 
movement  in  handling  or  indicating  imagined  objects 
mentioned  or  obviously  connected  with  the  selection. 
One  definite  thing  to  be  remembered  about  the  art  of 
personating  is  that  it  luust  never  he  employed  when 
rapid  change  of  characterisation  is  necessary,  as  in 
conversation  among  two  or  more  speaking  characters. 
Only  when  one  character  is  assumed  without  interrup- 
tion through  a  long  speech,  whether  in  soliloquy,  im- 
plied dialogue  or  direct  address,  is^JBeri9IL^i[l£. 
feasible, 

Type  of  Selection  for  Personating. — The  general 
t}pe  of  selection  for  the  art  of  personating  may  be 
called.  The  Personation,  which  may  be  recognized  in 
the  following  literary  forms:  soliloquy,  implied  dia- 
logue and  direct  address.    It  is  to  be  understood,  how- 

105 


io6         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

ever,  that  although  the  selection  may  be  in  one  of  these 
literary  forms,  it  need  not  be  considered  as  a  persona- 
tion unless,  according  to  the  author's  purpose,  literal 
action  is  primarily  essential  for  adequate  presentation. 
Characterization  and  mood  must  be  secondary. 

The  first  form  of  the  personation  which  enables  the 
reader  to  be  nearest  like  the  actor  is  the  Personated 
Soliloquy,  which  Indeed  differs  from  the  Acting  Solil- 
oquy only  in  the  fact  that  it  does  not  require  as  essen- 
tial, scenery,  properties  and  stage  effects.  The  reader 
represents  a  certain  person,  normal  or  eccentric,  en- 
gaged in  some  particular  action  while  meditating  on 
some  subject  more  or  less  Intimately  connected  with 
what  he  is  at  the  moment  doing.  A  splendid  example 
of  the  Personated  Soliloquy  is  recognized  in  The  Irish 
Girl  and  the  Telephone,  by  Bailey  and  Schell."^  Here 
is  represented  an  Irish  servant  girl  who  has  never 
seen  a  telephone.  She  is  discovered  talking  to  herself 
while  sweeping  or  dusting  the  room.  Her  meditation 
concerns  the  telephone  which  she  calls  the  "little 
box."  As  she  is  meditating,  suddenly  by  her  action 
and  speech,  the  audience  is  made  to  realize  that  the 
'phone  has  rung.  Then  follows  her  conversation  over 
the  'phone  and  her  meditation  on  the  things  she  hears. 
The  reader  in  examining  the  selection  sees  that  the 
predominating  feature  is  literal  action.  He  has  noted 
that  the  business  does  not  actually  require  the  scene 
nor  the  real  telephone,  broom,  chair,  table,  etc.,  but 
that  the  situation  does  require  moving  about  and  ob- 


*Werner's  Readings,  No.  38. 


READING  107 

jective  gesture  in  liandling  the  iiiiaginarv  telephone 
receiver  in  order  to  give  the  complete  comedy  effect. 
If  the  entertainer  is  a  woman,  and  she  cares  to  have 
the  costume  with  the  stage  scenery  and  all  the  proper- 
ties, she  becomes  an  actress  for  the  time  being  and  is 
then  acting  in  soliloquy.  Careful  study  of  the  selec- 
tion will  reveal,  however,  that  none  of  the  accessories 
is  necessary,  so  the  piece  may  be  presented  through 
personating.  This  particular  selection  coitid  be  given 
through  impersonative  reading,  making  the  Irish  char- 
acterization the  primary  essential  and  eliminating  lit- 
eral action,  but  the  selection  would  lose  much  of  the 
effect  intended  by  its  author. 

Another  example  of  the  Personated  Soliloquy  is 
1)1  the  Pantry,  by  Mabel  Dixon.*  The  character  rep- 
resented is  a  little  boy  meditating  on  the  advisability 
of  disobeying  his  mother  and  eating  the  mince  pie  that 
his  mother  has  left  temptingly  on  the  pantry  shelf. 
After  considerable  wrestling  w-ith  his  conscience,  he 
reaches  up,  takes  down  the  pie  and  eats  it.  The  literal 
action  in  standing  on  tiptoe  and  walking  about  to  view 
the  pie  from  different  angles  and  the  final  pantomime 
of  reaching  for  the  pie  and  eating  it  add  so  much  to  the 
situation  that  the  reader  decides  to  personate  rather 
than  merely  to  characterize  the  boy  in  his  child  speech 
and  suggest  the  action  through  impersonative  reading. 
It  is  funny  if  given  as  a  Character  Soliloquy,  but  it  is 
funnier  when  given  as  a  Personated  Soliloquy. 

The  second   form  of  the  personation  is  The  Mon- 


Anna  Morgan's  Selections.    A.  C.  McClurg  &  Co. 


io8         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

olqguc.  It  is  written  in  implied  dialogue  and  always 
represents  a  single  character  in  supposed  conversation 
with  others  while  accomplishing  literal  action  neces- 
sary to  the  piece.  Sometimes  these  monologues  are 
misnamed  Acting  Monologues  and  are  given  in  cos- 
tume and  with  properties.  Some  even  go  so  far  as  to 
set  a  complete  scene  with  stage  furniture  appropriate. 
Such  a  performance  is  inconsistent  and  absurd,  for 
if  the  audience  is  not  stimulated  to  imagine  the  scene 
and  properties,  why  should  it  be  required  to  imagine 
the  other  persons  supposed  to  be  in  the  conversation? 
This  might  not  be  such  a  serious  mistake  were  it  not 
for  the  fact  that  such  attempts  to  create  so  much 
realism  result  in  situations  impossible  for  one  enter- 
tainer to  present  Vv'ithout  confusing  the  audience  as 
to  the  intention  of  the  speaker.  For  example,  let  us 
take  At  the  Matinee,  by  Marjory  Benton  Cooke.*  A 
young,  frivolous  girl  enters  the  theater  and  looks 
around  for  her  friend  who  has  arrived  earlier.  She 
soon  sees  her  friend,  and  stepping  over  the  knees  and 
feet  of  several  people,  supposed  to  be  in  the  same  row 
of  seats  with  the  friend,  she  finally  seats  herself.  In 
the  implied  dialogue  that  follows,  the  speaker  removes 
her  hat  and  pins  it  to  the  back  of  the  man  who  is 
supposed  to  sit  directly  in  front  of  her.  Now  if  the 
entertainer  should  use  a  real  hat  and  attempt  to  pin 
it  on  the  imaginary  man  in  front  of  her,  the  hat 
would  fall  to  the  floor  and  the  audience  would  lose 
the  idea.     If,  however,   the  hat   removing  process  is 


"^Monologues,  by   Marjory   Benton    Cooke. 


READING  109 

done  in  pantomime  with  an  imaginary  hat  and  pins, 
the  audience  is  uninterrupted  in  its  imagination  of  tlie 
articles  and  unconsciously  follows  the  speaker's  move- 
ments throughout,  accepting  the  suggestions  without 
question.  When  the  candy  boy  is  supposed  to  sell 
the  young  woman  the  box  of  chocolates,  it  becomes 
impossible  for  an  imaginary  boy  to  deliver  a  real 
candy  box  without  employing  legerdemain,  so  here 
the  reader  finds  it  necessary  to  pantomime  the  im- 
aginary box.  A  real  box,  even  if  it  were  possible  to 
produce  it  out  of  the  air,  would  be  in  the  way  and 
become  confusing  to  the  audience  when  other  imagi- 
nary articles  are  suggested.  Consistency  demands  that 
all  or  none  of  the  properties  be  imaginary,  so  in  the 
case  of  the  hat,  candy-box,  opera  glasses  and  money, 
and  the  supposed  patrons  of  the  theater,  the  audience 
accepts  all  without  question.  This  selection  zvould  fail 
utterly  if  given  by  any  other  method  tJian  by  person- 
ating. Literal  action  is  all  important.  There  is  no 
particular  eccentric  characterization  or  mood  changes 
that  are  not  connected  with  necessary  action,  so  if 
given  through  impersonative  reading,  the  selection 
would  fail  to  express  the  author's  purpose.  Obviously 
the  selection  could  not  be  given  through  acting,  for  it 
would  be  impossible  to  get  all  the  scenery  and  prop- 
erties necessary  without  also  having  an  audience  of 
real  i')eople  on  the  stage  and  without  changing  the 
implied  dialogue  to  pure  dialogue  in  substituting  the 
other  parts.  Any  attempt  to  offer  the  piece  through 
acting  would  be  ridiculous,  for  the  sul)joct-niatter  is 
so  unimportant  that  the  expense  of  staging  it  would 


no         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

be  unwarranted.  Personating  is  the  only  form  of 
presentation  for  this  monologue. 

The  third  form  of  the  personation  is  The  Eccentric 
Address  which  represents  a  comedy  orator  in  direct 
address  to  a  supposed  audience,  the  regular  audience 
being  the  one  actually  addressed.  In  this  type  of  the 
personation,  the  eccentric  character  burlesques  real 
oratory  and  creates  comedy  situations  by  his  greatly 
overdone  action  and  gesticulation.  He  is  privileged 
to  walk  about,  or  pound  an  imaginary  pulpit,  read  an 
imaginary  Bible  or  use  any  literal  movement  of  head, 
hands,  arms  or  legs  in  order  to  give  a  complete 
comedy  characterization  in  overdrawn  oratory.  This 
type  may  be  presented  through  all  forms  of  delivery, 
but  is  best  given  through  personating.  When  the 
speaker  does  not  choose  to  employ  literal  action  be- 
yond facial  expression  in  connection  with  vocal  char- 
acterization, he  may  do  so,  but  since  in  any  burlesque 
oratory  the  speaker  is  not  limited,  we  make  no  special 
classification  for  it  when  presented  through  imper- 
sonative  or  pure  reading.  When  direct  address  is 
given  seriously  it  can  not  be  considered  as  belonging 
to  the  reader's  art  at  all.  It  belongs  to  the  art  of  the 
Public  Speaker,  or  Orator. 

An  excellent  example  of  the  Eccentric  Address  is 
The  Ship  of  Faith,'^  a  colored  dialect  sermon.  The 
old  colored  preacher  is  exhorting  his  hearers  to  "get 
on  boahd  de  ship  ob  faith,"  and  his  actions  should  be 
represented  as  typical  of  the  race.    The  more  literally 


*Found  in  Clark's  Handbook  of  Best  Readings.     Scribner's. 


READING  III 

he  marches  back  and  forth  and  shakes  his  head,  the 
more  realistic  will  be  the  impressioti.  The  humor  of 
the  selection  is  greatly  enhanced  by  characterization 
and  the  action  is  burlesque  oratory.  To  put  on  a 
prince  albert  coat,  wear  spectacles  and  use  a  real 
pulpit  and  book  would  be  inconsistent  unless  the  enter- 
tainer also  blackened  his  face  and  "made  up"  for  the 
part  as  an  actor. 

The  Character  Series  is  considered  the  fourth  form 
of  the  personation  and  is  really  the  point  in  the  classi- 
fication where  personating  and  impersonative  reading 
may  be  used  with  equal  effect.  It  is  a  composition 
written  expressly  to  exploit  several  eccentric  charac- 
ters in  comedy  addresses  or  anecdotes.  Each  character's 
speech  is  a  complete  address  and  is  not  interrupted 
by  conversation.  Explanatory  matter  is  introduced 
between  each  address,  by  the  reader,  and  each 
successive  speaker  is  assumed  in  a  comedy  speech 
independent  of  the  others,  so  there  is  opportunity  to 
make  formal  transition  which  is  not  possible  in  a  quick 
interchange  of  speeches  such  as  occur  in  regular  nar- 
ration with  descriptive  dialogue.  The  Character 
Series,  then,  is  to  be  considered  merely  as  a  succession 
of  eccentric  addresses  connected  by  explanatory  ma- 
terial into  one  complete  theme.  TJic  Debating  Society, 
by  E.  J.  Hall,*  is  a  good  example  of  this  type.  A 
number  of  eccentric  characters  are  engaged  in  "de- 
batin'  "  on  the  question  of  ''suppressin'  th'  press,"  and 
the   selection  offers  opportunity   for  several   t\'pes  of 


Found  in  One  Hundred  Choice  Selections.     No.  28. 


112         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

comedy  characters  to  be  literally  personated.  Here 
literal  action  is  about  equally  important  with  charac- 
terization, as  much  of  the  humor  lies  in  the  peculiar 
movements  of  several  of  the  debaters  in  speaking. 
The  selection,  of  course,  may  be  given  through  imper- 
sonative  reading  as  well  as  through  personating. 
It  is  for  this  reason  that  the  Character  Series  is  some- 
times called  the  "common  ground"  for  these  two  types 
of  delivery. 

Vocal  Features  of  Personating.''' — (i.)  Voluntary 
Adaptation  of  Voice  to  Characterization.  In  assum- 
ing the  vocal  peculiarities  of  characters,  the  reader 
must  be  somewhat  naturally  endowed  with  imitative 
ability,  for  voluntary  vocal  change  requires  conscious 
imitation.  There  are  five  general  ways  in  which  the 
voice  may  be  changed  for  personation, 
(a.)  Conscious  Change  in  the  Four  Elements: 
Quality,  Force,  Pitch,  Time.  Every  true  teacher 
of  public  speech  is  familiar  with  the  four  elements  of 
vocal  expression,  and  it  is  assumed  that  the  student 
who  is  prepared  for  professional  work  in  the  art  of 
public  reading  is  already  sufficiently  acquainted  with 
the  use  of  quality,  force,  pitch  and  time  to  make  un- 
necessary any  further  explanation  regarding  their 
fundamental  attributes.  It  is  well,  however,  to  offer 
an  explanation  of  how  these  elements  may  be  con- 
sciously expressed  for  the  purpose  of  personating. 

In   order   to   do   more   than   express   the   mood   of 
curious  or  eccentric  comedy  characters  it  is  necessary 


*See  Diagram  C,  in  the  hitroduction. 


READING  113 

to  make  some  conscious  changes  in  the  voice  using 
various  combinations  of  the  four  elements.  If  mood 
alone  were  all  that  distinguishes  abnormal  characters 
from  normal  individuals  there  would  be  no  need  for 
these  paragraphs  on  conscious  vocal  change.  An 
expression  of  different  moods  will  result  in  uncon- 
scious changes,  for  nature  does  not  require  us  to  think 
about  the  various  means  of  indicating  thoughts  and 
feelings  before  expressing  them.  In  imitation  of  the 
physical  as  well  as  the  mental  difference  in  people, 
however,  a  certain  kinesthetic  power  of  mental  imagery 
is  necessary,  and  a  development  of  this  power  requires 
diligent  observation  together  with  countless  attempts 
to  transfer  (or  perhaps  translate  is  the  better  word) 
our  auditory  imagery  into  a  form  of  motor  imagery. 
To  imitate  the  voice  of  the  child  or  an  old  person 
requires  a  little  attention  to  quality  and  pitch  in  order 
to  get  the  thin  breathy  note  of  the  child  or  the  slightly 
guttural  tone  of  a  querulous  old  man.  By  observing 
the  difference  in  quality  between  the  voice  of  a  little 
girl  and  that  of  a  little  boy,  a  keen  imitator  may  so 
reproduce  the  tone  that  an  audience  will  know  instinc- 
tively which  sex  is  being  represented.  In  personating 
the  voice  of  a  man  or  a  woman,  a  difference  in  the 
abruptness  of  force,  the  depths  of  quality  and  the 
intermingling  of  breathiness  in  the  vocalization,  will 
leave  no  doubt  in  the  mind  of  the  audience  as  to  which 
sex  is  being  personated. 

Besides  the  characteristics  of  age  and  sex,  the 
physical  condition  of  a  character  results  in  a  peculiar- 
ity of  quality,  an  eccentric  turn  or  mannerism  of  pitch, 


114         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

or  an  unusual  application  of  force  and  time.  A  per- 
son with  a  cold  in  the  head,  a  sore  throat,  a  ''cracked" 
or  *1iusky"  voice  or  a  cleft  palate  must  be  consciously 
imitated.  I^>Iere  expression  of  mood  will  not  do.  It 
may  reflect  the  mental  condition  of  one  who  is  sick 
or  languid,  or  lazy,  but  a  conscious  imitation  of  the 
tone  quality,  the  time  of  utterance  or  the  force  in  its 
different  degrees  and  manner  of  application  will  better 
present  the  physical  disability.  Vocal  peculiarities  of 
inarticulate  sounds,  such  as  swallowing,  hiccoughing, 
sneezing,  coughing,  clearing  of  the  throat,  drawling 
or  hesitating  are  effected  through  the  conscious  appli- 
cation of  the  four  elements  in  various  degrees  and 
combinations.  The  expression  of  some  mental  condi- 
tions requires  more  than  mere  mood  indication  in  an 
attempt  at  literal  characterization.  The  voice  of  an 
idiot,  of  an  inebriate,  of  an  insane  person  or  of  a 
stupid  person  will  require  for  complete  characteriza- 
tion the  imitation  of  the  voice  by  means  of  the  ele- 
ments in  conscious  adaptation.  Of  course,  it  should 
be  understood  from  the  first  that  all  this  conscious 
imitation  will  not  be  effective  if  mood  and  atmosphere 
are  not  also  understood  and  expressed.  Quality, 
force,  pitch  and  time  are  ever  present  in  all  speech 
whether  unconsciously  or  consciously  used.  They  can 
be  recognized  in  connection  with  all  other  forms  of 
vocal  imitation  and  are  inseparable  from  them,  but 
in  personating  and  in  impersonative  reading,  where 
so  much  literal  characterization  is  required,  these 
elements  serve  a  double  purpose  in  the  unlimited 
conscious  use  which  may  be  made  of  them. 


READING  115 

(b.)  Conscious  Imitation  of  Speech  Mechanics 
IN  Producing  Dialects.  By  the  term  "dialect"  we 
mean  the  speech  of  foreigners  who  are  attempting 
American  or  EngHsh  speech.  This  term  does  not 
include  localisms  or  provincial  peculiarities  of  speech. 
A  dialect  is  a  recently  acquired  language  imperfectly 
articulated,  misaccented  and  mispronounced,  and 
highly  colored  by  traces  of  the  native  atmosphere  and 
habits  of  speech.  A  true  dialect  can  not  be  written — 
it  can  only  be  suggested  by  following  as  closely  as 
possible  a  spelling  which  will  indicate  in  a  measure  the 
variation  of  a  word  from  its  correct  English  form, 
but  the  most  important  feature  of  a  dialect,  the  pecu- 
liar national  atmosphere  of  a  people  can  not  be  repre- 
sented in  print.  The  only  w^ay  to  personate  a  dialect 
is  to  study  everything  about  the  people  who  use  it  and 
gradually  to  absorb  the  peculiarities  of  enunciation 
and  pronunciation  along  zuifh  the  unusual  mood  of  the 
people  and  the  atmosphere  of  their  daily  life.  It  is 
ridiculous  for  a  student  to  imagine  he  can  personate 
a  dialect  by  merely  pronouncing  the  words  as  he 
finds  them  in  the  book  of  selections.  One  who  has 
never  lived  among  the  Scotch  or  Welsh  or  Irish  people 
should  never  hope  to  reproduce  their  dialect  until  he 
has  at  least  had  an  opportunity  to  study  one  who 
s])eaks  the  dialect  naturally.  Most  people  who  at- 
tempt dialect  merely  give  an  exhibition  of  miserably 
pronounced  English.  No  teacher  can  teach  a  dialect. 
He  may  be  able  to  correct  little  faults  in  the  speech 
mechanics  of  one  who  has  already  studied  and  ab- 
sorbed  the   atmosphere   of   a   certain   dialect,   but   he 


ii6         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

should  never  attempt  to  teach  it  until  the  student  has 
had  first-hand  study  in  the  national  traits  and  the 
actual  speech  of  foreigners  who  have  learned  to  speak 
English.  After  one  has  studied  the  people  he  wishes  to 
imitate,  a  great  deal  of  help  may  be  gained  from  a 
knowledge  of  speech  mechanics  and  the  w^ay  different 
nations  vary  in  their  combination  of  English  diph- 
thongs, simple  vowels  and  consonants,  but  it  must  be 
remembered  that  these  variations  are  secondary. 

Let  us  take  for  example  the  first  person,  singular 
pronoun  "I"  as  represented  in  print  for  the  Irishman's 
pronunciation  of  it,  namely,  **Oi."  To  pronounce  as 
the  English  diphthong  ''oi'  does  not  give  the  Irish 
dialect  at  all.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the  variation  from 
the  English  pronunciation  is  Tcry  slight  and  is  not 
caused  by  a  change  in  the  initial  vowel  of  the  diph- 
thong, but  rather  by  a  difference  in  the  use  of  the 
tongue  in  articulating  the  initial  broad  "a."  This 
can  not  be  arrived  at  mechanically  with  any  degree  of 
consistency  until  the  ear  of  the  imitator  has  carefully 
registered  the  sound  as  it  has  heard  frequent  conver- 
sations in  the  dialect  and  observed  the  little  distinc- 
tions of  accent,  quality,  variations  of  pitch,  and  the 
general  atmosphere  which  gives  rise  to  idiomatic  ex- 
pressions. Dialect  personations  should  be  attempted 
only  by  those  who  know  the  life  of  the  people  they 
are  imitating.  Many  excellent  imitators  are  able  to 
"get  by"  with  a  dialect  from  mere  imitation  of  vaude- 
ville performers  or  readers  w^ho  themselves  have 
been  able  to  reproduce  the  real  dialect,  but  the  safest 
way  is  to  make  a  study  of  the  people  to  be  imitated. 


READING  117 

After  having  lived  in  Xew  York  for  a  time,  the 
imitative  person  may  acquire  a  fairly  accurate  repre- 
sentation of  the  New  York  Jew.  To  live  among  the 
Pennsylvania  Dutch  is  the  only  way  to  acquire  their 
dialect.  A  few  of  the  dialects  which  it  is  possible  to 
study  in  America  are:  the  Scotch,  the  Irish,  the 
German,  the  Dutch,  the  French,  the  Italian,  the  Swede, 
the  Chinese,  the  Japanese,  the  Russian  Jew,  the  Ger- 
man Jew,  the  Polish,  the  French  Canadian  and  the 
American  Indian.  Of  course  it  is  possible  to  study 
every  dialect  in  the  world  for  a  very  superficial  imita- 
tion of  them  but  most  of  the  dialects  not  mentioned 
above  are  so  infrequently  found  in  the  United  States 
that  a  real  atmospheric  study  of  them  would  be  diffi- 
cult. Only  those  nationalities  which  are  so  numerous 
in  America  that  they  settle  in  colonies  are  capable  of 
thorough  study.  Even  settlement  study  is  never  as 
satisfactory  as  the  study  of  people  in  their  own  native 
land.  Their  customs  and  habits  of  living  together 
and  their  individual  traits  of  character  afford  many 
hints  to  the  personator  who  would  reproduce  these 
same  traits  in  a  broken  tongue.  Just  as  one  who  lives 
in  France  two  or  three  years  will  be  better  able  to 
speak  and  understand  the  French  language  than  the 
student  who  learns  to  speak  it  by  studxing  a  book  in 
school,  so  the  reader  of  dialect  can  do  his  best  work 
if  he  studies  his  people  in  their  native  environment, 
(c.)  Conscious  Lmitatiox  of  Local  and  Pro- 
vincial Speech.  What  has  been  said  about  dialects 
applies  largely  to  local  or  provincial  speech.  One 
should   never   depend  on  the   representation   in   print. 


ii8         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

The  study  should  be  at  first-hand,  although  there  is 
not  so  great  a  distinction  in  atmosphere  as  among  the 
dialects,  since  American  ideas  and  emotions  are  much 
the  same  everywhere  in  America,  but  there  are  subtler 
variations  which  the  true  artist  will  not  disregard. 
Many  forms  of  local  or  provincial  speech  are  mis- 
named "dialects."  The  speech  of  the  southerner  and 
the  negro  are  not  dialects ;  they  are  provincial  speech, 
or  sectional  variations  of  American  speech  just  as 
American  speech  in  reality  is  a  colonial  variation  of 
the  English  speech.  The  reader  of  dialect  very  often 
finds  occasion  to  imitate  the  speech  peculiarities  of 
the  South,  the  Southwest,  the  Middle  West,  the  East 
and  of  the  rural  and  urban  variety  of  these  different 
sections  in  the  United  States.  The  speech  of  New 
York  is  different  from  that  of  Boston;  the  speech  of 
the  southern  planter  is  different  from  that  of  the 
northern  farmer,  and  the  speech  of  the  western 
rancher  has  its  own  peculiarities  which  differ  from 
any  of  the  others.  A  study  of  sectional  speech  reveals 
the  fact  that  the  variation  is  mostly  in  speech  me- 
chanics and  in  the  use  of  the  four  elements.  Pronun- 
ciation and  idiomatic  phrases  are  the  principal 
distinguishing  marks.  For  example  the  Boston  repre- 
sentative is  very  likely  to  say,  'T  have  an  idear  that 
mothah  deah  will  be  theah  by  foah-thehty."  The 
New  Yorker  from  Fifth  Avenue  would  say  it  in  about 
the  same  way  except  that  he  would  not  put  the  final 
"r"  on  "idea."  The  East  Side  urchin  would  pronounce 
the  last  word,  "fo-thuety."  In  "Nawth  Cala-ina"  we 
should  hear,   "foh-thutty."     In   Indiana   it  would  be 


READING  119 

"foer-r  thlr-rty,"  and  so  on.  In  Indiana  alone  there 
are  six  different  varieties  of  speech  which  may  be 
illustrated  by  the  six  ways  of  pronouncing  the  one 
word  "going."  They  are:  "going,"  "gone,"  "gow- 
an,"  "go-in,"  "gwlne"  and  "gwan."  These  are  called 
"localisms." 

The  observant  reader  as  he  travels  about  will  orient 
himself  to  the  different  customs  of  the  people  and 
will  instinctively  develop  an  imitation  of  them. 
Further  study  of  the  causes  of  these  variations  will 
establish  certain  marked  differences  that  may  be  used 
to  great  advantage  in  personating. 

For  a  comparison  of  provincial  speech  with  dia- 
lects, let  us  return  for  a  moment  to  their  consideration. 
Side  by  side  with  the  differences  in  the  use  of  speech 
mechanics,  exists  the  differences  in  the  use  of  the  ele- 
ments, especially  quality  and  pitch.  For  example,  in 
France  the  predominating  voice  quality  is  slightly 
nasal,  while  in  Germany  it  is  decidedly  guttural.  The 
difference  is  due,  of  course,  to  the  predominating 
sounds  of  each  language  which  influence  the  habitual 
placement  of  tone.  Greater  differences  occur  in  the 
use  of  pitch  than  in  quality.  For  instance,  the  Irish- 
man habitually  asks  his  direct  questions  with  a  down- 
ward inflection,  as  if  declaring  them,  while  the  Eng- 
lishman has  the  habit  of  giving  the  upward  slide  to 
assertions  as  well  as  to  all  questions.  The  Chinese 
use  of  pitch  is  entirely  different  from  the  European  or 
American  use  in  that  tlie  same  words  may  have  dif- 
ferent denotation  when  placed  in  a  different  key. 
Consequently,  in  reproducing  a  dialect  one  should  be 


I20         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

familiar  with  the  native  use  of  the  language  and 
observe  how  the  transition  to  a  new  language  will 
affect  the  resulting  dialect.  Dialects  are,  therefore, 
much  more  difficult  to  acquire  than  local  or  provincial 
speech,  and  the  student  should  make  his  effort  in 
personating  apply  to  his  own  national  peculiarities 
before  taking  up  the  peculiarities  of  other  nations, 
(d.)  Conscious  Imitation  of  Speech  Defects. 
One  of  the  most  popular  forms  of  imitation  used  for 
personating  is  the  imitation  of  speech  defects,  such  as 
stuttering,  stammering,  faulty  articulation  (including 
the  use  of  "1"  for  ''r"  and  lisping,  the  cause  of  which 
is  a  misarticulation  in  the  formation  of  "s"),  and  the 
speech  of  the  hare-lip,  or  one  who  has  a  cleft  palate. 
To  imitate  speech  defect  is  not  so  easy  as  it  looks. 
Many  readers  attempt  it  and  fondly  imagine  that  they 
are  succeeding  when  in  reality  they  are  overdoing  and 
burlesquing  the  defect.  The  mere  repetition  of  an 
initial  letter  sixteen  or  twenty  times,  or  the  repetition 
of  syllables  in  any  word  that  happens  to  occur  is  not 
at  all  like  stuttering.  The  audience  may  laugh  at  the 
effect  it  produces  but  soon  tires  of  it  and  is  no  longer 
amused.  There  are  several  reasons  for  stuttering  and 
when  the  reader  learns  the  real  causes  of  this  form 
of  speech  defect,  he  can  reproduce  it  with  a  natural- 
ness that  will  not  grow  tiresome  or  cause  the  other 
important  feature  of  presentation  to  be  lost  sight  of. 

Again  as  in  the  reproduction  of  dialect  or  provincial 
speech  the  teacher  can  be  of  use  only  in  explaining 
causes  and  illustrating  forms  of  articulation.  The 
student  himself  must  observe  closely  the  accompany- 


READING  121 

ing  of  actions,  manners  and  customs  of  those  who  use 
eccentric  forms  of  speech.  Then  the  teacher,  if  he 
understands  it  himself,  can  give  valuahle  hints  and 
suggestions  in  further  perfecting  the  representation, 
(e.)  Song  Imitation.  If  a  reader  is  not  musical  it 
is  best  that  he  refrain  entirely  from  imitating  singing, 
but  if  he  has  a  good  "ear"  for  music  with  a  proper 
sense  of  rhythm  and  time,  there  are  occasions  where 
the  literal  imitations  of  the  singer  add  to  the  humor 
or  comedy  of  the  situation.  A  reader  should  not 
attempt  literal  singing  in  the  presentation  of  serious 
matter.  In  almost  every  case  the  voice  in  song  unac- 
companied by  a  musical  instrument  has  a  peculiar  dis- 
quieting effect  upon  an  audience,  and  instead  of  the 
serious  impression  intended  it  often  produces  the 
opposite  effect.  Imitation  of  song  is  dependent  upon 
fixed  quality  and  pitch  variation,  and  may,  of  course, 
for  comedy  purposes  include  all  that  has  been  said 
about  dialect  and  speech  defects. 

(2.)  Inz'ohintary  Change  of  Voice  Expressing  the 
Varying  Moods.  It  has  already  been  stated  that  mood 
changes  underlie  all  presentation,  and  are  a  factor 
of  expression  in  every  form  of  characterization.  In 
personating,  however,  just  as  in  acting,  mood  repre- 
sentation is  not  sufficient  to  produce  the  realistic  per- 
formance intended,  so  literal  or  voluntary  changes  are 
added  to  give  the  realistic  touch.  Running  through- 
out the  speech  of  the  character  thus  realistically  per- 
sonated, are  the  changing  moods  which  involuntarily 
color  the  voice  and  modulate  the  melody,  but  whicli 
never  overshadow   the  peculiar  or   fixed   vocal   char- 


122         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

acteristic  assumed  in  the  beginning  of  the  charac- 
terization. For  instance,  in  The  Ship  of  Faith,  a 
personation  of  a  colored  preacher,  all  the  changing 
moods  may  be  expressed  while  still  keeping  the  pe- 
culiar qualities  and  provincial  speech  of  the  negro. 
These  vocal  changes  due  to  mood  are  unconscious  and 
are  the  result  of  natural  laws.  When  the  public 
reader  wishes  to  express  love,  hate,  anger,  deceit, 
melancholy,  sorrow,  joy,  etc.,  his  voice  unconsciously 
responds  with  the  proper  quality,  force,  pitch  and 
time,  to  give  emphasis  and  variety  to  his  thoughts  and 
feelings.  The  term  Public  Reader  is  used  to  distin- 
guish from  the  beginner,  or  the  silent  reader  who  has 
not  been  used  to  audience  conditions  and  can  not  yet 
express  even  moods  unconsciously.  Let  it  be  said 
again  that  in  all  this  discussion  of  personating  and 
in  the  discussion  of  reading  which  is  to  come  after- 
ward, the  preliminary  study  of  elocution  and  simple 
reading  is  presupposed. 

Actional  Features  of  Personating.* — (i.)  Literal- 
ness  in  All  Action.  In  speaking  of  literal  action  we 
mean  all  action  including  all  forms  of  hearing  and  of 
pantomime.  When  literal  pantomime  is  mentioned  it 
refers  merely  to  literal  gesture  of  the  head,  hands  and 
limbs,  and  to  literal  facial  expression,  but  does  not 
include  bearing.  When  literal  facial  expression  is 
referred  to,  it  does  not  include  gesture.  On  the  other 
hand  literal  gesture  excludes  facial  expression.  Bear- 
ing is  either  literal  in  both  poise  and  carriage,  or  it 


*See  Diagram  C,  in  the  Introduction. 


READING  123 

is  suggestive.  Later  we  shall  find  that  in  inipcrsona- 
tive  reading  we  may  use  literal  facial  expression,  but 
suij^gcsthr  gesture  and  bearing,  while  in  pure  reading 
we  arc  limited  to  all  suggestive  action.  In  personat- 
ing, however,  we  may  use  literalness  in  all  action. 
In  bearing  w^e  pay  especial  attention  to  any  eccentricity 
of  carriage  including  the  gait,  or  walk  of  the  char- 
acter, the  peculiarities  of  reciprocal  movements  and 
the  oddities  in  other  movements,  such  as  sitting,  ris- 
ing, falling,  or  the  nervous  movements  of  one  who 
has  rickets.  Saint  \'itus  Dance,  etc.  There  are  pe- 
culiarities of  poise  also  which  must  be  taken  into  con- 
sideration for  the  complete  action  necessary  in  per- 
sonating. The  standing  or  sitting  posture  offers  many 
opportunities  for  personating  which  a  student  may 
readily  observe  and  imitate.  Here  again  as  in  vocal 
reproduction,  observation  and  imitation  are  the  only 
ways  to  accomplish  true  characterization. 

In  pantomime  (action  of  the  head,  hands  and  limbs 
and  of  facial  expression)  w^e  have  the  most  frequent 
literal  use.  In  the  great  mass  of  material  suited  to 
the  reader,  there  is  very  little  which  actually  requires 
complete  reproduction  of  carriage,  but  in  pantomime 
there  is  constant  need  of  it.  The  movements  of  the 
hands,  first  subjectively  in  indicating  a  peculiar  mood, 
second,  indicatively  in  pointing  out  objects  and  in 
indicating  size,  distance,  measurements,  etc..  third, 
in  peculiarities  of  movements,  such  as  the  trembling 
or  nervous  hand  and  the  motions  due  to  diseased 
conditions  in  Saint  \'itus  Dance,  rickets,  palsy,  im- 
becilitv.    insanitv,    and    drunkenness,    and    fourth,    the 


124  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

handling  of  imaginery  objects  in  which  the  hands 
describe  the  same  movements  that  would  be  made  if 
the  real  objects  were  there — all  these  motions  find  a 
place  in  making  the  action  real  while  leaving  the  sur- 
roundings to  the  imagination  of  the  audience.  Facial 
expression,  of  course,  must  be  consistent  with  the 
other  indications  of  peculiarity  whether  it  be  merely 
the  unconscious  reflexion  of  mood  or  the  conscious 
assuming  of  a  peculiarity  of  feature,  such  as  a  protrud- 
ing lip,  a  closed  eye,  a  wrinkled  forehead,  a  twist  to 
the  mouth  or  an  extended  jaw.  There  are  certain  re- 
curring mannerisms — a  blinking  eye,  a  moving  scalp, 
a  wrinkling  nose,  or  nervous  movements  of  the  lips 
and  the  tongue,  and  there  are  natural  movements  in 
biting,  chewing  and  pursing  the  lips,  which  are  never 
necessary  except  in  personating,  where  detailed  action 
is  essential  to  the  humor  of  the  selection. 
(2.)  Technique  of  Action  in  Personating.  The  en- 
tire body  must  be  consistent  in  its  movements  in 
reflecting  the  word  of  the  character,  which,  of  course, 
is  the  greatest  factor  in  any  characterization.  If  the 
face  reflects  fear,  the  entire  body  must  become  con- 
centric in  attitude,  and  show  in  every  line  of  position 
the  natural  bodily  response  to  the  emotion.  For  the 
body  to  be  erect,  or  at  ease  while  the  face  mechanically 
distorts  in  fear,  the  effect  is  comic,  or  at  least  is  not 
realistic  enough  to  be  convincing.  Since  in  person- 
ating, realistic  action  is  the  primary  requisite,  it  must 
be  complete  in  every  detail. 

The  most  prominent  feature  of  action  in  personating 
is   literal   objective   gesture.      In   handling   imaginary 


READING  T25 

objects,  the  fingers  and  palm  must  be  careful  to  keep 
consistent  with  the  shape  of  the  object  suggested.  For 
example,  let  us  imagine  a  character  reading  a  letter 
which  on  the  first  page  gives  encouragement  to  him. 
but  on  the  back  of  the  page  says  something  that 
plunges  him  into  despair.  The  action  while  reading 
the  letter  is  important,  so  care  must  be  taken  to  hold 
the  imaginary  letter  as  one  would  hold  a  real  letter 
and  not  merely  spread  out  the  hand  flat.  The  thumb 
and  finger  of  one  hand  will  naturally  be  in  opposition 
at  the  upper  corner  of  the  supposed  page.  While 
the  other  hand  will  be  the  width  of  the  page  distant 
and  about  the  length  of  the  page  lower  down.  The 
eyes  of  the  reader  will  focus  between  the  hands. 
When  the  page  is  turned,  the  movement  of  the  hand 
should  correspond.  The  student  in  preparing  the 
selection  should  use  a  real  letter  until  he  becomes 
accustomed  to  the  "feel"  of  his  movements  and  then 
he  will  find  it  easy  to  make  the  audience  see  in  im- 
agination the  paper  which  is  not  there. 

Whenever  literal  objective  gesture  is  attempted, 
care  must  be  taken  to  give  the  action  of  replacing  the 
objects  assumed  to  be  handled  before  taking  up  others. 
For  instance,  let  us  suppose  the  reader  is  personating 
an  old  woman  at  a  quilting  party.  She  is  engaged  in 
cutting  squares  of  cloth  and  sewing  them  on  the  patch 
quilt  while  gossiping  with  the  others  supposed  to  be 
l)resent.  From  time  to  time  she  picks  up  the  im- 
aginary shears,  cuts  or  trims  the  edge  of  a  square, 
replaces  the  shears,  takes  uj)  her  needle  and  sews 
again.     The   failure  to   replace  the  shears   mii^Jit  not 


126         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

be  noticed  by  the  audience,  but  it  is  likely  to  be,  es- 
pecially if  the  reader  in  the  act  of  cutting  forgets, 
and  abruptly  starts  the  sewing  process.  Perhaps  the 
failure  to  replace  a  supposed  article  can  be  illustrated 
best  in  the  Monologue,  *'At  the  Matinee/'  This 
monologue  has  no  merit  except  as  a  piece  of  comedy 
action  and  if  the  action  has  any  merit  at  all  it  must 
be  in  its  exactness  and  detail.  In  this  selection  the 
young  woman  takes  off  her  hat,  first  removing  nu- 
merous hatpins  which  she  holds  in  her  mouth.  When 
the  hat  is  off  she  puts  the  pins  back  in  the  hat  and 
fastens  it  to  the  seat  in  front  of  her.  One  young 
woman  while  working  on  this  selection  spoke  her 
lines  at  that  point  in  the  piece  as  if  the  pins  were  in 
her  mouth,  but  presently  forgetting  the  pins,  she 
opened  her  mouth  and  laughed  heartily  after  which 
she  resumed  her  speech,  mumbling  the  words  as  if 
the  pins  were  still  in  her  mouth.  Soon  without  the 
pantomime  of  removing  the  pins  she  began  eating  the 
imaginary  chocolates.  Her  instructor  told  her  that 
the  audience  would  be  concerned  lest  she  had  swal- 
lowed the  hatpins  if  she  should  forget  to  replace  them 
in  the  hat.  As  a  matter  of  fact  probably  nine  out  of 
every  ten  would  not  notice  just  what  was  wrong  but 
there  would  be  a  sort  of  subconscious  impression  that 
something  was  wrong.  The  greatest  harm  done,  how- 
ever, is  to  the  artist  herself  who  has  failed  to  imagine 
completely  the  objects  with  which  she  has  to  deal. 
Later  in  more  suggestive  work,  the  student  may  find 
that  her  lack  of  imagining  completely  the  essential 
details  in  personating  will  make  her  careless  in  her 


READING  127 

choice  of  details  for  suggestion.  The  matter  of  re- 
placing imaginary  objects  always  seems  trivial  to  the 
novice,  but  it  is  the  very  point  on  which  the  success 
or  failure  of  some  bits  of  personating  depend.  In 
inipersonative  reading  or  pure  reading,  since  there  is 
never  a  necessity  for  more  than  suggest iz'C  objective 
gesture,  the  replacing  of  the  suggested  object  is  never 
considered.  The  purpose  of  literal  objective  gesture 
is  to  make  the  audience  see  the  object  indicated  by 
the  pantomime.  If  the  pantomime  is  consistent  the 
purpose  is  always  realized. 

In  the  Monologue,  the  speaker  must  acquire  a  con- 
sistent listening  attitude  while  the  imagined  character 
is  supposed  to  be  speaking.  Plenty  of  time  must  be 
given  for  these  fancied  replies,  and  the  facial  expres- 
sion and  gesture  of  the  reader  while  listening  must  be 
in  keeping  with  the  impression  he  is  supposed  to 
receive.  Much  of  what  the  imagined  speaker  is  sup- 
posed to  say  is  understood  by  the  audience  through 
the  pantomime  of  the  reader  himself  during  the  listen- 
ing moments. 

The  reader  in  personating  differs  from  the  actor  in 
his  attitudes  and  positions  on  the  stage  only  in  the 
fact  that  he  rarely  turns  his  back  on  the  audience.  The 
actor  sharing  the  attention  of  the  audience  with  others 
on  the  stage  may  frequently  turn  his  back  squarely  on 
the  audience  and  even  talk  up  stage  to  another,  but 
the  reader  alone  on  the  stage  has  at  all  times  the  en- 
tire attention  of  the  audience  and  can  not  afford  to 
lose  it  for  an  instant.  He  therefore  will  arrange  his 
action  so  that  it  will  never  be  necessarv  to  turn  com- 


128         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

pletely  away  from  them.  He  may  walk  diagonally  up 
stage,  be  constantly  moving  from  one  side  to  the  other, 
but  since  he  is  a  reader,  not  an  actor,  it  behooves  him 
to  keep  facing  his  audience  as  much  as  possible. 

The  Use  of  a  Chair  and  Personal  Properties. — 
By  personal  properties  we  mean  the  incidentals  which 
are  a  part  of  the  reader's  habitual  wearing  apparel 
and  are  never  transferred  to  or  from  any  supposed 
character.  A  woman's  handkerchief,  a  man's  watch 
or  eye-glass  would  be  considered  in  the  nature  of  a 
personal  property,  whereas  a  letter,  newspaper,  book, 
box  of  chocolates,  hat,  gloves,  muff,  dish  of  ice-cream, 
cup  of  tea,  or  playing  cards  would  be  classed  under 
general  or  transferable  properties.  The  distinction 
is  here  made  because  there  are  some  readers  who  in- 
sist that  the  use  of  ''certain"  properties  are  effectual 
and  not  noticeably  inconsistent  to  any  audience,  so  we 
have  classified  the  "certain"  properties  as  personal 
properties,  for  it  is  obviously  true  that  transferable 
properties  can  not  be  used  consistently.  To  be  abso- 
lutely consistent  in  the  appeal  to  the  imagination  of 
the  audience,  even  personal  properties  should  not  be 
used.  When  the  audience  understands  at  the  begin- 
ning of  a  monologue  that  it  is  to  imagine  the  scene, 
the  furniture  and  the  other  characters,  it  is  prepared 
to  imagine  everything  connected  with  the  scene  ex- 
cept the  personality  and  the  action  of  the  one  charac- 
ter represented.  It  does  not  require  the  real  properties 
to  be  present  and  in  many  cases  it  would  be  confused 
if  some  were  produced  while  others  were  left 
to  the  imagination.     The  mind  of  an  audience  once 


READING  129 

accustomed  to  real  objects  finds  it  harder  to  recog- 
nize imaginary  objects  during  the  progress  of  the  same 
selection,  for  instance  if  a  reader  sits  at  a  real  table 
with  real  books  or  real  dishes,  and  engages  in  implied 
dialogue  with  an  imaginary  companion  who  in  the 
course  of  the  dialogue  passes  him  an  imaginary  plate 
of  toast,  the  audience  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  will 
fail  to  grasp  the  idea.  It  is  inconsistent,  to  say  the 
least,  to  expect  that  the  audience  will  not  be  able  to 
imagine  the  table  and  the  other  dishes  as  well  as  the 
companion  or  the  plate  of  toast.  It  is  inconsistent, 
therefore,  to  employ  any  transferable  properties  at  all 
and  it  is  better  to  dispense  with  the  personal  proper- 
ties as  well,  for  then  there  is  sure  to  be  no  confusion 
on  the  part  of  the  audience. 

It  is  easier  to  induce  an  audience  to  imagine  some- 
thing that  is  not  before  it  at  all  than  to  make  it 
"recreate"  a  real  object  and  imagine  it  is  something 
else.  For  instance,  if  a  reader  in  personating  a  wo- 
man rubbing  clothes  over  a  washboard,  goes  through 
the  pantomime  w^ith  no  articles  of  assistance  what- 
ever, the  audience  will  see  the  picture  far  better  than 
if  the  reader  used  the  back  of  a  chair  for  a  washboard 
and  a  scarf  or  newspaper  in  place  of  the  garment  to 
be  washed.  The  existence  of  anything,  unless  it  is 
exactly  the  object  represented,  is  more  confusing  to 
the  imagination  than  nothing  at  all.  It  is  upon  this 
fact  that  the  following  principle  is  based :  Unless  all 
properties  and  furniture  can  be  just  what  is  repre- 
sented, there  should  be  no  properties  or  furniture  em- 
ployed. 


130         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

An  ordinary  chair  should  not  be  considered  as  a 
property  or  special  stage  furniture.  It  is  a  conve- 
nience. Just  as  the  platform  floor  is  convenient  to 
stand  on,  so  is  the  chair  convenient  to  sit  on,  but  it 
need  not  be  a  special  chair  fitting  any  particular 
description  in  the  monologue.  It  is  not  to  be  consid- 
ered by  the  audience  at  all.  In  a  monologue  or 
soliloquy  to  be  personated,  a  chair  conveniently  placed 
before  the  selection  is  begun  enables  the  reader  to 
sit  or  rise  and  continue  his  literal  action.  Just  as  no 
one  ever  thinks  of  the  platform  on  which  the  speaker 
stands,  so  no  one  ever  thinks  of  an  ordinary  chair 
on  which  the  reader  may  care  to  sit  in  order  to  carry 
on  action  representing  a  person  who  is  seated. 

Treatment  of  Personation  within  Personating. — 
It  very  frequently  happens  that  in  a  monologue  the 
speaker  is  supposed  to  be  reproducing  a  previous  con- 
versation with  some  one  for  the  benefit  of  his  present 
listener.  There  is  a  temptation  to  leave  the  original 
character  and  assume  literally  the  voice  and  action 
of  the  persons  quoted.  The  question  arises  then,  how 
far  is  this  secondary  personation  permissible  without 
inconsistency?  If  the  original  character  is  obviously 
of  such  a  temperament  that  he  would  naturally  imitate 
the  manners  and  voice  of  those  he  quotes,  the  reader 
may  go  as  far  as  he  can  idthout  losing  the  identity  of 
the  original  character  of  the  monologue.  In  most 
cases,  however,  the  original  character  would  do  just 
as  anybody  would  do  in  repeating  a  conversation ;  he 
would  assume  the  mood  and  perhaps  a  suggestion  of 
the  manner  of  those  he  quoted  but  he  would  not  be 


READING  131 

likely  to  imitate  the  voice  or  the  facial  expression.  In 
the  case  of  a  reader  personating  a  professor  of  elocu- 
tion, he  would,  of  course,  assume  the  characters  liter- 
ally, for  it  would  be  consistent  for  a  professor  of 
elocution  to  do  so.  More  often  than  not  the  original 
character  of  a  monologue  is  either  a  normal  person 
involved  in  a  good  deal  of  action  or  else  a  peculiar 
individual  who  would  not  know  how  to  give  a  literal 
representation  of  those  he  quotes.  It  is  safe  to  say 
that  in  almost  every  monologue  the  original  charac- 
ter merely  tells  what  the  past  conversation  has  been 
and  does  not  even  swerve  from  his  own  mood.  If 
his  mood  is  purely  mental,  he  will  never  do  more  than 
give  the  thought  of  the  one  quoted,  but  if  his  mood 
is  highly  emotional  it  is  likely  that  he  will  reflect 
somewhat  the  mood  of  the  one  he  quoted. 

In  Higher  Culture  in  Dixie  the  old  colored  woman 
is  telling  "Sis"  Mirandy  how  she  cured  her  daughter 
of  atheism,  and  in  quoting  her  own  words  and  those 
of  her  daughter  she  unconsciously  uses  the  mood  in 
which  the  past  conversation  was  carried  on,  but  she 
will  not  lose  her  own  voice  in  quoting  the  words  of 
her  daughter.  Negroes  are  very  emotional,  and  the 
old  lady  will  live  over  again  in  suggested  action  part 
of  the  scene,  but  she  never  will  completely  leave  her 
own  character,  nor  forget  her  one  listener,  '*Sis" 
}^Iirandy.  The  audience  should  never  lose  sight  of  the 
old  lady  herself  and  "Sis"  Mirandy,  and  they  should 
see  the  daughter  only  in  the  dim  circumstances  sug- 
gested by  her  mother. 

The  position  of  the  original  speaker  in  a  monologue 


132         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

remains  In  the  attitude  of  spokesman  to  his  original 
listener.  He  does  not  in  quoting  turn  from  side  to 
side  as  does  the  reader  in  presenting  two  speaking 
characters.  Again  he  would  do  as  any  person  in 
real  life  would  do.  He  would  not  be  likely  to  employ, 
or  even  know  about,  the  elocutionary  ''trick"  of  the 
side  to  side  movement  w^hich  suggests  two  persons 
conversing. 

In  quoted  conversations  the  words  "said  he,"  "said 
she,"  etc.,  should  be  repeated  frequently  in  the  charac- 
ter of  the  original  speaker  so  that  he  will  remain  iden- 
tified with  the  character  at  all  times  and  so  that  the 
audience  may  have  no  chance  to  confuse  him  with  the 
character  he  is  quoting. 

The  Treatment  of  Vocal  Imitation  within  Per- 
sonating.— In  these  paragraphs  we  are  using  the 
term  "vocal  imitation"  in  the  sense  of  mimicry  of 
nature  sounds  or  mechanical  sounds.  It  does  not 
refer  to  the  imitation  of  human  voice.  When  we 
speak  of  literal  imitation  of  a  person  in  voice  or  action, 
we  call  it  personation  but  the  imitation  of  things  not 
human  we  shall  call  merely  imitation. 

The  question,  "What  shall  we  do  in  personating  a 
character  who  is  supposed  to  imitate  cat-calls,  the 
bark  of  a  dog,  etc.?"  may  be  answered  in  the  same 
way  that  the  question  concerning  personation  within 
personating  was  answered.  If  the  original  character 
is  supposed  to  be  an  imitator  or  a  clown,  he  would  in 
all  probability  imitate,  but  if  he  is  an  ordinary  char- 
acter, he  would  not.  The  situation  would  be  most 
unusual  in  which  a  character  would  literally  imitate. 


READING  133 

In  ]\Iark  Twain's  Jim  U^olf  and  iJic  Cats,  a  rather 
eccentric  old  man  is  telling  a  friend  (or  a  group  of 
friends)  of  a  boyhood  prank  played  on  Jim  Wolf. 
In  the  course  of  his  talk  he  mentions  the  cats  "yow- 
ow-owling."  Now  the  old  man  would  be  likely  to 
approach  an  imitation  but  he  would  not  be  able  to 
give  an  exact  one.  For  the  reader  to  drop  the  old 
man's  character  and  literally  reproduce  the  cat-call 
would  be  inconsistent.  The  important  element  in  the 
selection  is  the  old  man  himself  and  what  he  does  in 
telling  the  tale.  It  is  more  humorous  to  see  the  old 
man  suggesting  the  cat  imitation  than  it  would  be  to 
see  the  reader  step  out  of  the  character  and  give  a 
literal  imitation. 

The  Use  of  Literal  Song  irr  Personating. — Since 
literalness  in  voice  and  action  is  the  primary  essential 
of  personating,  and  since  singing  is  distinctly  a  human 
accomplishment  it  may  be  reproduced  literally  w^ithout 
inconsistency  in  any  of  the  four  forms  of  the  persona- 
tion. If  the  character  speaking  is  telling  about 
another  person  who  has  sung,  he  will  not  sing.  He 
will  merely  repeat  the  words.  But  if  during  the  act- 
ing of  the  original  character  in  a  soliloquy  or  a  mono- 
logue, the  character  himself  is  supposed  to  sing,  he 
may  do  so  literally  if  he  can  sing — if  not,  he  had  bet- 
ter content  himself  with  chanting  in  a  monotone. 

In  Mammy's  Li'l  Boy,  by  H.  S.  Edwards,  since  the 
action  of  holding  and  rocking  the  baby  and  the  as- 
sumption of  the  provincial  speech  of  the  negro  are 
essential,  the  reader  may  croon  the  "Bye-o,  baby  boy, 
o-bye"  with  prefect  consistency.     If  the  reader  prefers 


134         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

to  stand  and  simply  suggest  the  holding  of  the  hahy, 
giving  the  selection  as  a  character  monologue  through 
impersonative  reading,  the  singing  may  be  fittingly 
suggested  since  the  selection  is  not  humorous  and  the 
tune  is  unimportant  to  the  mood  of  the  piece.  There 
are  many  soliloquies  and  monologues  in  which  the 
actual  singing  of  the  character  is  important,  and  when 
this  is  the  case  the  real  tune  should  be  employed. 

Relation  of  Personating  to  Impersonative  Read- 
ing.— Before  leaving  the  subject  of  Personating  it  is 
well  to  show  its  relationship  to  Impersonative  Read- 
ing, the  next  step  toward  suggestion.  While  in  the 
present  chapter  we  have  shown  that  literal  action  is 
the  primary  requisite  for  personating,  and  that  char- 
acterization and  mood  were  secondary  considerations, 
we  shall  show  in  the  next  chapter  that  literal  action 
drops  out  of  consideration  and  gives  place  to  vocal 
and  facial  characterization  as  the  primary  requisite 
with  expression  of  mood  and  suggestive  action  as  a 
secondary  factor.  Impersonative  Reading  is  the  inter- 
mediate step,  therefore,  between  Personating  and 
Pure  Reading. 


CHAPTER  IX 

I MTERSO NATIVE    READING 

Definition  Elaborated. — Impersonative  reading  Is 
that  phase  of  the  reader's  art  which  attempts  charac- 
terization as  literally  as  possible  in  voice  and  facial 
expression,  but  in  all  other  action  gives  mere  sugges- 
tion. It  is  not  confined  to  the  representation  of  one 
character  as  is  personating,  but  may  represent  many 
in  conversation  while  the  reader  changes  from  one 
character  to  another  and  back  again  to  narration  in 
his  own  person.  It  is  the  ''common  ground"  between 
personating  and  pure  reading,  and  is  the  kind  of 
delivery  applied  to  a  great  mass  of  humorous  or 
character  readings  that  seek  to  portray  eccentric  or 
comedy  types  in  conversation  with  one  another.  It 
affords  a  means  of  compromising  between  entire 
literal  presentation  and  wholly  suggestive  presenta- 
tion. 

Type  of  Selection  Suitable  for  Impersonative 
Reading. — TJie  Character  Reading  is  the  name  given 
to  that  type  of  literature  calling  for  eccentric  char- 
acterization and  is  distinguished  further  by  the  fact 
that  it  may  represent  more  than  one  character  in 
conversation.  Here,  of  a  necessity,  complete  literal 
action  can  not  be  reproduced  because  of  the  limitations 
imposed  on  the  reader  requiring  the  rapid  change  from 
character  to  character.     These  rapid  changes  do  not 

135 


136         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

permit  walking  about  or  pantomiming  tlie  handling 
of  objects.  There  is  time  only  for  mere  suggestion 
in  everything  except  facial  expression  and  vocal 
change  which  can  be  done  instantaneously  and  with- 
out attention  being  called  to  the  means  of  transition. 

There  are  two  sub-forms  of  the  Character  Reading 
Avhich  are  just  like  the  first  two  forms  of  the  Persona- 
tion except  that  the  need  for  literal  action  is  absent. 
Since  literal  action  is  unimportant  they  are  called 
Character  Soliloquy  and  Monologue  instead  of  Per- 
sonated Soliloquy  and  Monologue,  and  should  be  pre- 
sented according  to  the  principles  suggested  for  im- 
personative  reading. 

The  other  two  sub-forms  of  the  Character  Reading 
are  unlike  any  of  the  forms  of  the  personation  in  that 
they  represent  more  than  one  person  in  actual  conver- 
sation. The  Character  Play  is  any  piece  of  dramatic 
literature  in  pure  dialogue  form  whose  chief  charac- 
ters are  eccentric  and  when  given  by  a  single  enter- 
tainer, can  neither  be  acted  nor  personated,  but  must 
be  rearranged  in  descriptive  dialogue  form  and  pre- 
sented through  impersonative  reading.  Here  the 
reader  must  change  instantly  from  character  to  char- 
acter and  back  to  bits  of  description,  a  limitation 
which  makes  anything  like  literal  action  impossible.^ 
but  which  may  permit  the  instantaneous  changes  in 
facial  expression  and  voice.  The  same  may  be  said 
of  the  Character  Narrative  which  differs  in  form 
from  the  Character  Play  only  in  the  fact  that  it  was 
originally  in  descriptive  dialogue  form  and  contains 
longer  and  more  frequent  passages  of  description  or 


READING  137 

narration.  The  technique  of  dehvcry  for  the  two 
forms  is  practically  the  same  except  that  the  converted 
form  of  the  dialogue  in  the  Character  Play  gives  the 
descriptive  passages  in  the  present  tense,  while  the 
Character  Narrative  is  written  in  the  past  tense,  and 
the  reader  conforms  to  the  tense  in  his  presentation. 

Vocal  Features  of  Impersonative  Reading. — 
What  has  been  said  concerning  the  vocal  features  of 
Personating  applies  in  the  same  way  to  Impersonative 
Reading  in  both  voluntary  and  involuntary  changes. 
A  word  in  addition  may  be  said  regarding  the  use  of 
the  voice  in  the  delivery  of  descriptive  and  narrative 
passages  which  does  not  apply  to  personating.  The 
voice  is  the  reader's  own  and  changes  involuntarily 
with  the  changing  mood  and  atmosphere  of  the  de- 
scription. Indirect  discourse  will  be  colored  by  the 
mood  of  the  one  indirectly  quoted  and  the  atmosphere 
of  a  scene  or  situation  will,  in  a  like  manner,  influence 
the  voice  of  the  reader  as  he  describes  it.  If  the 
description  is  a  mere  matter-of-fact  statement,  the 
reader  will  simply  tell  it  to  the  audience  almost  as  in 
direct  address,  but  if  the  description  is  emotional,  such 
as  the  description  of  a  horse  race  or  a  fight  with  fire, 
the  voice  of  the  reader  will  involuntarily  express  the 
emotional  mood  of  the  passage  and  may  even  reflect 
the  mood  of  the  onlookers.  This  is  especially  true  if 
the  emotional  importance  of  the  scene  is  greater  than 
the  mere  sense,  or  meaning.  Further  treatment  of 
vocal  features  in  description  will  be  taken  up  under 
the  subject  of  Pure  Reading. 

Actional   Features   of   Impersonative   Reading. — 


138         DRAxMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

Here  in  the  actional  features  of  Impersonative  Read- 
ing we  find  the  greatest  difference  from  Personating. 
Ahnost  all  action  in  impersonative  reading  is  sugges- 
tive rather  than  literal.  The  only  phase  of  action 
which  is  employed  literally  is  facial  expression  which 
may  be  changed  instantly  without  calling  attention  to 
the  mode  of  transition.  A  fixed  feature,  such  as  a 
closed  eye  for  Squeers  in  Nicholas  Nicklehy;  a  recur- 
ving uianncrisni,  such  as  the  blinking  eye  of  ''Blinky" 
Lockwood  in  The  Fortune  Hunter;  or  the  feature 
motions  of  the  mouth,  jaws  and  tongue  in  tasting  or 
chewing  which  once  in  a  while  seems  necessary  to 
bring  out  the  humor  of  a  characterization — these  ex- 
pressions mav  be  employed  for  comedy  effect  in 
impersonative  reading.  All  other  action  is  either  sug- 
gested or  entirely  eliminated.  The  hearing  of  a  char- 
acter may  be  dimly  suggested  in  the  standing  position, 
but  the  suggestion  of  sitting  or  reclining  must  be 
through  a  descriptive  phrase  rather  than  by  any  ini- 
tial motion  toward  the  action.  Carriage  is  eliminated 
from  consideration  since  it  is  obvious  that  no  walking 
about  can  be  done  consistently  while  so  frequently 
changing  from  one  character  to  another.  All  the 
peculiarities  of  gait  are  to  be  suggested  through  de- 
scriptive phrases — not  by  any  attempt  at  initial  move- 
ment. Gesture  (head,  hand  and  limb  movements  not 
concerned  with  bearing)  may  be  strongly  suggestive. 
The  initial  movement  of  the  hand  and  arm  in  the 
act  of  shaking  hands,  the  suggestion  of  holding  a 
letter  or  a  newspaper,  the  suggestive  movement  for 
holding  up  a  wineglass  in  proposing  a  toast — all  these 


READING  139 

movements  aid  in  picturing  a  situation  but  do  not 
need  to  be  completely  carried  out.  Let  us  suppose  a 
situation  in  which  a  drunkard  is  in  conversation  with 
his  wife.  The  descriptive  matter  indicates  that  he 
lifts  a  glass  while  sneeringly  taunting  her,  and  that 
she  in  reply  dashes  the  glass  out  of  his  hand  to  the 
floor.  If  literal  pantomime  were  to  be  carried  out, 
the  reader  in  assuming  the  eccentricity  of  the  drunk- 
ard would  hold  his  fingers  literally  as  if  holding  the 
glass  and  would  go  through  the  motions  of  lifting  it 
high  above  his  head  and  then  back  to  his  lips.  Then 
in  rapid  change  to  the  character  of  the  woman,  the 
reader  would  have  to  return  the  man's  gesture  and 
assume  the  literal  striking  motion  of  the  woman  as 
she  utters  her  harsh  words.  All  this  would  take 
unnecessary  time  and  would  call  attention  to  the 
vianncr  of  transition  from  one  character  to  another. 
How  much  more  simple  and  effective  is  the  suggestion 
when  the  reader  in  the  character  of  the  man  merely 
lifts  the  hand  a  little  way  with  the  fingers  loosely 
apart,  not  attempting  literally  to  encircle  a  supposed 
glass,  but  allowing  the  audience  to  create  the  picture 
independently?  As  the  reader  thus  speaks  the  sneer- 
ing line,  he  may  instantly  interrupt  himself  in  the 
wife's  character  and,  forgetting  the  one  hand  slightly 
raised,  will  allow  it  to  relax  gracefully  while  the  other 
hand  raises  quickly  in  the  initial  motion  suggesting 
violence  as  the  wife  speaks  her  line  and  follows  with 
her  eyes  the  falling  of  the  imaginary  glass. 

The  privilege  of  descriptive  matter  to  be  given  by 
the  reader  himself  between  lines  spoken  by  characters, 


140         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

makes  possible  the  suggestion  for  any  kind  of  action 
or  situation  with  the  very  sHghtest  movement  in  ges- 
ture. Even  literal  facial  expression  and  voluntary 
vocal  change  is  unnecessary  except  in  eccentric  or 
comedy  roles. 

Stationary  Position  of  the  Reader  in  Impersona- 
tive  Reading. — It  may  be  laid  down  as  a  steadfast 
rule  that  all  forms  of  selections  which  require  instan- 
taneous change  from  character  to  character  or  to  de- 
scription must  be  presented  from  a  stationary 
position  in  the  center  of  the  platform  from  which 
point  the  reader  will  not  move  more  than  one  step 
in  any  direction.  All  that  is  necessary  in  action  can 
be  suggested  from  this  stationary  position. 

In  impersonative  reading,  therefore,  the  use  of  a 
chair  is  never  necessary.  The  abrupt  rising  or  sitting 
in  changing  characters  would  call  attention  to  the 
transition  and  would  make  an  important  feature  out 
of  what  is  merely  incidental.  All  action  that  can  be 
described  in  narration  may  be  suggested  either  in  vivid 
phrase  or  in  gesture,  but  whenever  it  is  obviously 
incidental  and  can  not  be  expressed  without  giving  it 
undue  importance,  it  should  be  left  out.  Perhaps  the 
best  way  to  remind  the  student  of  the  limit  of  action 
in  impersonative  reading  is  to  formulate  this  prin- 
ciple: READING,  zifhether  impersonatize  or  pure, 
may  he  presented  zmth  the  desk  and  manuscript  before 
the  reader  zvithout  loss  of  suggestion  to  the  audience. 
Of  course,  he  may  read  from  memory  if  he  prefers, 
but  he  will  stand  erect,  facing  the  audience  in  either 
case,   and  will  merely   suggest   the  opposition  of  his 


READING  141 

characters  in  conversation  by  a  slight  turn  cf  the  face 
to  the  right  and  left.  The  scene  is  pictured  by  the 
reader  out  beyond  the  audience  rather  than  on  the 
platform  with  himself.  The  entire  scene,  characters 
and  all  are  conceived  by  the  audience  as  apart  from 
the  reader  on  the  platform.  In  personating,  however; 
the  scene  is  imagined  as  on  the  platform  directly  be- 
fore the  audience,  and  the  one  actual  character  repre- 
sented moves  about  in  that  scene.  The  imagination 
of  the  audience  centers  about  him  and  not  apart  from 
him  for  a  moment.  In  personating,  obviously  a  desk 
and  manuscript  would  be  in  the  way  and  therefore 
the  Personation  must  always  be  delivered  from 
memory.  The  Character  Reading,  however,  may  be 
given  from  memory  or  from  the  page  with  equal 
power  of  suggestion  to  the  audience. 

Treatment  of  Personation  within  Impersonative 
Reading. — By  personation  within  impersonative 
reading  we  mean,  of  course,  the  attempt  at  charac- 
terization which  an  eccentric  character  would  be 
likely  to  make  in  quoting  the  words  of  another 
speaker  in  a  former  conversation.  How  far  would 
he  be  likely  to  leave  his  own  personality  in  order  to 
assume  the  voice  and  manner  of  the  one  he  quotes? 
Since  in  impersonative  reading  the  action  of  the 
original  eccentric  character  must  be  suggestive  in  all 
except  facial  expression,  it  is  clear  that  the  described 
action  of  the  quoted  character  will  be  even  more 
slightly  suggestive,  for  his  action  must  not  cause  the 
audience  to  forget  the  original  speaker  and  the  present 
tense  situation.     The  facial  expression  of  the  original 


142  DRAxMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

speaker  will  in  most  cases  merely  reflect  the  mood  of 
the  person  he  quotes.  The  voice  of  the  original  char- 
acter should  not  lose  its  conscious  peculiarity,  but  may 
reflect  the  mood  of  the  person  quoted,  in  unconscious 
changes  of  the  elements.  A  good  maxim  to  follow 
is:  Never  get  out  of  the  original  character  so  far 
that  the  audience  thinks  of  the  one  quoted  rather  than 
the  original  eccentric  character.  One  way  of  keeping 
the  original  character  constantly  before  the  audience 
while  quoting  the  lines  of  a  past  conversation,  is  to 
insert  frequently  the  words,  ''said  he,"  "said  she,"  "I 
said,"  or  "I  say." 

Treatment  of  Vocal  Imitation  within  Impersona- 
tive  Reading. — Rarely  do  \ve  find  occasion  for  vocal 
imitation  with  the  speech  of  an  eccentric  character  in 
impersonative  reading,  but  when  it  does  occur,  it 
should  be  treated  just  as  it  was  suggested  for  per- 
sonating. Jiuuny  Butler  and  the  Owl  offers  an  oppor- 
tunity for  the  Irishman  to  imitate  the  owl's  ''Who-o- 
oo"  and  it  should  be  done  as  the  Irishman  zvould  he 
likely  to  do  it,  not  in  literal  imitation  of  an  owl's  note. 
It  sometimes  happens,  however,  that  in  a  humorous 
selection,  the  description  indicates  in  phonetic  com- 
bination certain  sounds  which  the  author  intended  to 
be  literally  reproduced.  When  this  is  the  case,  literal 
imitation  may  be  employed,  but  in  that  case  the  selec- 
tion can  not  be  frankly  classed  under  a  Personation, 
Character  Reading  or  Interpretative  Reading.  It  is 
just  a  "Stunt,"  or  an  "Imitation."  Fred  Emerson 
Brooks'  Barnyard  Melodies  illustrates  this  type.  The 
same  general  rule  quoted  in  the  previous  paragraph 


READING  143 

applies      also     to      imitation      within      impersonative 
reading. 

The  Use  of  Song  in  Impersonative  Reading. — The 
supposition  that  the  character  required  to  sing  is 
humorous  or  eccentric  offers  sufficient  reason  for  his 
literally  reproducing  the  tune.  If  the  reader  has  an 
ear  for  music  and  a  musical  voice,  he  may  carry  off  a 
humorous  bit  of  singing  with  excellent  effect,  but  if 
he  can  not  carry  a  tune,  he  had  better  be  content  with 
repeating  the  words  of  the  song  in  a  monotone. 

In  Arauiinta's  Ankie,  by  Myrtle  Reed,  the  old 
maiden  aunt  is  supposed  to  sing  to  the  tune  of  an 
old  hymn  certain  improvised  words  calculated  to  annoy 
her  niece,  Araminta,  who  lies  with  a  broken  ankle  in 
the  next  room.  The  young  doctor  who  has  forbidden 
the  aunt  to  go  into  Araminta's  room  or  speak  to  her, 
appears  on  the  scene  in  the  midst  of  the  old  lady's 
song.  The  quick  change  of  words  to  the  words  of  the 
hymn  when  she  sees  the  doctor,  affords  comedy  which 
is  best  appreciated  in  the  literal  reproduction  of  tune 
in  the  shrill,  quaint  voice  of  the  old  maid. 

Our  Baby  at  Rudder  Grange,  by  Frank  R.  Stock- 
ton, offers  another  opportunity  for  literal  singing 
when  the  narrator  tells  of  w'alking  the  floor  and  sing- 
ing to  the  baby  improvised  words  to  the  tune  of 
"Weak  and  Wounded,  Sick  and  Sore."  Since  the 
reading  is  humorous  and  the  tune  of  special  impor- 
tance, a  literal  reproduction  of  the  tune  will  add  to 
the  effect  and  not  seem  out  of  place  at  all.  It  should 
be  remembered,  however,  that  it  is  never  absolutely 
necessary  to  sing.    The  audience  will  get  the  idea  and 


144         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

much  of  the  humor  if  the  reader  suggests  the  song 
by  the  use  of  a  ''one-pitch"  tone. 

The  Treatment  of  First  Person  Narrative. — 
There  are  two  ways  of  presenting  a  narrative  written 
in  the  first  person,  and  the  choice  should  be  influenced 
by  the  author's  purpose.  First,  if  the  narrator  is  not 
important  as  a  character  in  a  present  tense  situation ; 
if  he  may  be  understood  as  of  no  more  importance 
than  the  reader  himself  in  telling  a  story ;  or,  in  other 
words,  if  the  selection  could  a^  zucll  be  given  in  the 
third  person,  or  impersonally,  it  should  be  given  as 
a  Character  Narrative,  just  as  if  it  were  written  in  the 
third  person.  Second,  if  the  narrator  is  important 
as  an  eccentric  character  or  as  a  normal  character  in 
a  present  tense  situation,  and  it  can  be  seen  that  the 
author  intended  the  narrator  to  preserve  his  own  per- 
sonality at  all  times  through  the  story,  the  selection  is 
a  Character  Monologue  or  a  Reading  Monologue  and 
any  quoting  of  conversations  by  the  speaking  charac- 
ter will  remain  colored  by  the  personality  of  the  nar- 
rator. The  Character  Monologue  or  Reading  Mono- 
logue can  not  be  given  in  the  third  person  because  of 
the  importance  of  the  present  tense  situation. 

When  the  narrator  is  not  important  in  a  present 
tense  situation,  the  reader  will  omit  the  little  unneces- 
sary expressions,  "said  he,"  ''said  she  with  a  smile," 
etc.,  as  much  as  possible,  just  as  he  would  do  in  a 
third  person  narrative,  but  in  presenting  the  selections 
in  which  the  narrator  is  important  in  the  present 
tense  situations,  the  reader  will  retain  every  one  of 
those   expressions   and   even    supply    more   than   the 


READING  145 

author  did  If  it  seems  necessary  to  the  kecpin^^  of  the 
original  character.  Our  Guides,  by  ]\Iark  Twain,  is 
an  admirable  example  of  first  person  narrative  in 
which  the  narrator  is  unimportant  as  a  character. 
The  narrative  could  just  as  well  be  given  in  the  third 
person  without  disregarding  the  author's  purpose  in 
the  least.  The  characters  of  the  Doctor  and  the 
Frenchman  may  be  literally  assumed  in  the  voluntary 
voice  change  and  the  facial  expression,  for  the  pres- 
ence of  the  words  'T'  and  ''we''  does  not  affect  the 
situation  at  all.  In  Shannts  O'Brien,  by  J.  E.  Le- 
Faum,  where  the  narrator  himself  is  a  character 
(shown  by  the  dialect)  in  a  present  tense  situation,  it 
is  obviously  the  author's  purpose  to  keep  him  before 
the  audience,  and  the  conversation  Shamus  reports  is 
all  along  colored  by  his  own  personality.  It  is  there- 
fore classed  as  a  Character  Monologue. 


CHAPTER  X 


PURE   READING 


Definition  Elaborated. — Pure  reading  is  the  high- 
est type  of  suggestive  presentation  and  is  employed 
in  all  that  class  of  literature  which  requires  merely 
the  expression  of  mood  in  conversation  and  of  atmos- 
phere in  descriptions.  Here  there  is  no  attempt  at 
realism.  The  reader  stimulates  the  imagination  of 
his  hearers  to  see  the  pictures  and  live  the  scenes  apart 
from  the  reader  himself  or  the  platform  on  which  he 
stands.  Unlike  personating,  which  seeks  to  make  the 
picture  of  one  character  in  imaginary  surroundings 
doing  bits  of  action  within  the  limit  of  the  platform, 
pure  reading  carries  the  mind  of  the  audience  away 
from  the  platform,  out  into  the  world  of  life,  and 
stimulates  the  memory  and  the  imagination  to  create 
introspectively  a  complete  chain  of  imaginary  pictures. 
This  art  is  the  most  subtle  of  all  the  arts  of  the 
reader  in  its  power  of  suggestion  and  requires  years 
of  study.  The  term  "pure"  reading  must  not  be  con- 
fused with  ordinary  reading  aloud  from  the  page. 
As  used  in  this  book,  it  means  public  reading  of  litera- 
ture for  the  entertainment  and  education  of  the  peo- 
ple. Almost  any  person  of  average  intelligence  can 
read  a  story  from  a  book,  but  to  present  a  piece  of 
literature  formally  with  all  the  subtlety  of  suggestion 
146 


READING  147 

in  voice  and  actions  through  the  varying  moods  of 
human  life  requires  years  of  study  first  in  acting, 
then  in  personating,  later  in  impcrsonativc  reading, 
and  at  last  in  pure  reading,  before  the  highest  develop- 
ment of  artistic  appreciation  will  be  achieved. 

Type  of  Selection  for  Pure  Reading. — The  Inter' 
pretative  Reading  comprises  all  the  forms  of  literary 
composition  (except  argumentation,  and  exposition) 
whether  soliloquy,  implied  dialogue,  descriptive  dia- 
logue, narration,  description  or  lyric  composition  in 
which  neither  literal  action  nor  eccentric  characteriza- 
tion is  of  any  consequence,  but  in  which  the  expres- 
sion of  mood  is  all  important.  When  a  selection  is 
recognized  as  being  important  for  the  sake  of  its 
moods  it  may  be  classified  under  one  of  the  following- 
types  according  to  its  style  of  literary  composition : 
The  Reading  Soliloquy;  the  Reading  Monologue ; 
the  Reading  Play;  the  Descriptive  Reading;  the  Nar- 
rative Reading;  the  Declamation;  and  the  Lyric  Read- 
ing. The  first  two  types  are  in  form  exactly  like  the 
forms  used  for  personating  and  impersonative  read- 
ing, but  are  distinguished  from  them  by  the  lack  of 
necessity  for  literal  action  or  eccentric  characteriza- 
tion. The  Reading  Play  is  like  the  Character  Play 
except  that  it  has  no  eccentric  characters  in  the  chief 
role.  The  Narrative  Reading  differs  from  the 
Character  Reading  in  the  same  way.  The  Descrip- 
tive Reading,  however,  differs  from  every  other  type 
In  that  there  are  no  conversations,  and  the  reader  is 
concerned  wholly  with  painting  a  picture  of  a  scene, 
event,  or  a  person.     Here  the  reader's  art  is  at  its 


148         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

best  when  suggesting  the  atmosphere  of  a  situation  or 
a  scene  described.  The  Declamation  is  an  address, 
notable  examples  of  which  arc,  Webster's  Reply  to 
Hayrie,  Grattan's  Reply  to  Mr,  Corry,  and  the  like. 
The  Lyric  Reading  is  known  as  such  because  of  its 
idealism  and  its  universal  appeal  in  poetic  form.  It 
is  essentially  emotional.  It  seems  to  crystallize  some 
great  moment  in  life  that  is  the  common  experience  of 
many.  The  mood  is  always  intense  and  universal 
rather  than  personal.  The  Lyric  may  be  in  soliloquy, 
implied  or  expressed  dialogue,  narrative  or  descrip- 
tive forms.  Tennyson's  Break,  Break,  Break  and 
Crossing  the  Bar  and  Browning's  Meeting  at  Night 
are  good  examples  of  lyric  readings. 

Vocal  Features  of  Pure  Reading. — In  pure  read- 
ing the  vocal  changes  are  involuntary  and  are  brought 
about  solely  by  the  changes  of  thought  and  emotion 
representing  the  mood  of  the  normal  characters  in 
conversation  or  the  atmosphere  of  situations,  scenes 
and  events.  There  is  no  attempt  at  conscious  imita- 
tion of  quality,  pitch,  force,  or  time,  in  order  to  repre- 
sent any  eccentricity  of  character,  for  pure  reading 
does  not  deal  with  abnormal  persons.  It  may  deal 
with  humor  and  the  very  gayest  of  moods,  but  not 
to  such  a  degree  that  it  makes  the  character  peculiar. 
There  are  no  external  marks  of  distinction  between 
characters.  Nothing  but  the  mood  or  the  descriptive 
passages  in  the  selection  will  indicate  transition  of 
one  character's  speech  to  that  of  another. 

A  word  should  be  said  concerning  the  assuming  of 
moods  not  assigned  specifically  to  any   character  in 


READING  149 

the  narrative.  Descriptive  matter  when  niercl}-  ex- 
planatory, should  be  given  in  a  normal  mental  mood, 
but  when  the  atmosphere  becomes  highly  emotional, 
the  reader  if  properly  in  the  spirit  of  the  selection 
will  feel  that  atmosphere  as  the  emotional  mood  of 
some  possible  witness  to  the  scene.  In  the  Ben  Hur 
chariot  race,  for  instance,  the  description  becomes  so 
highly  emotional  that  the  mere  telling  of  the  "whip 
writhing  and  hissing  about  the  horses'  heads"  is  not 
.-sufficient.  The  reader  must  express  the  atmosphere 
of  the  scene  and  tlie  intense  mood  of  Ben  Hur.  He 
accomplishes  this  by  assuming  the  mood  of  the  crowd 
of  onlookers,  and  his  utterances  will  be  as  intense  as 
if  he  w^ere  representing  one  of  the  excited  characters 
in  the  scene. 

In  indirect  discourse,  if  the  mood  is  emotional  the 
reader  w^ill  unconsciously  color  his  voice  to  fit  the 
mood  thus  indirectly  quoted,  but  he  will  not  use  cor- 
responding bodily  action  except  in  the  most  subjective 
sense.  An  intense  situation,  however,  even  though 
described  in  the  third  person,  may  call  forth  bodily  as 
well  as  vocal  suggestions  of  the  atmosphere.  Ordi- 
nary mental  description,  such  as  "said  he,  lifting  his 
hat,"  or  "said  she,  as  she  gave  a  glance  from  her 
clever  black  eyes,"  do  not  need  intense  treatment.  In- 
deed, a  great  many  of  the  "said  he"  and  the  "said  she" 
phrases  may  be  omitted  altogether  by  the  reader.  He 
must  take  care,  however,  that  all  descrii)tion  necessary 
to  a  mental  and  emotional  understanding  of  the  situa- 
tion should  be  retained  unless  such  description  may  be 
expressed  through  the  subjective  action  of  the  char- 


I50         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

acter  or  the  tone  of  his  voice.  For  instance,  in  the 
words  ''  'Yes,'  said  Mary,  smiHng,"  all  except  ''Yes*' 
may  be  omitted  if  the  reader  smiles  as  he  says  "Yes." 
On  the  other  hand,  in  the  words  ''  Ts  Papa's  little  boy 
sorry?'  said  Mr.  Todd  as  the  persistent  sunbeam  kept 
stabbing  the  back  of  his  neck.  'AH  right,  Papa  will 
stay  here  in  the  corner  until  Robert  says  he  is  sorry,'  " 
nothing  can  be  omitted,  for  the  bit  about  the  sunbeam 
is  necessary  to  an  understanding  of  the  humor  of  the 
situation.  The  reader's  own  judgment  if  he  studies 
his  selections  properly,  will  determine  what  his  voice 
may  suggest  and  what  it  will  be  necessary  to  explain 
through  description. 

In  suggesting  the  voice  of  a  crowd  there  is  at  first 
a  bit  of  conscious  attention  to  quality  and  vocal 
mechanics,  in  acquiring  the  suggestive  tone.  There 
is  no  attempt  to  personate  a  babel  of  voices  (which 
would  be  impossible)  but  the  voice  slightly  above  the 
normal  pitch,  wdth  placement  back  in  the  back  part  of 
the  pharynx,  and  with  slightly  blurred  articulation, 
has  been  found  to  suggest  the  voice  of  a  crowd  ad- 
mirably. In  Josephine  Preston  Peabody's  The  Piper 
when  Kurtz  and  the  crowd  shout  at  the  Piper,  the 
reader  has  an  opportunity  to  stimulate  auditory  imag- 
ery to  hear  the  shout  of  fifty  or  a  hundred  people 
instead  of  one. 

Actional  Features  of  Pure  Reading. — In  pure 
reading  all  action  is  suggesfive,  and  that  phase  of 
action  known  as  carriage  is  not  considered  at  all. 
Even  subjective  gesture  and  facial  expression  Is  more 
or  less  suggestive  and  at  no  time  does  it  approach  the 


READING  151 

literalness  of  subjective  i^esture  and  facial  expression 
used  in  impersonativc  reading. 

Suggestive  action  (defined  in  the  appendix)  is  the 
initial  movement  which,  if  carried  to  completion,  will 
become  literal  action.  The  mere  opening  of  the  hand 
half  extended  toward  the  audience  is  enough  to  sug- 
gest the  hand-shake.  No  accent  or  return  is  neces- 
sary, but  immediate  transition  may  be  made  to 
another  gesture.  The  hand  with  fingers  spread 
slightly  and  the  palm  toward  the  face  is  sufficient 
suggestion  for  the  act  of  reading  a  letter — two  hands 
not  being  at  all  necessary.  In  many  cases  no  action 
at  all  is  necessary,  for  the  reader  will  merely  give  the 
contents  of  the  letter  to  the  audience  impersonally. 
In  order  to  be  sure  that  a  given  gesture  is  actually 
suggestive  of  the  thought  to  be  conveyed,  the  reader 
in  practising  should  begin  with  literal  action  and  com- 
plete the  movements  a  few  times,  after  which  the 
suggestion  will  gradually  appear  and  increase  as  less 
and  less  of  the  complete  motion  is  permitted.  It  may 
even  be  advisable  in  the  case  of  working  out  a  sug- 
gestion for  an  objective  gesture  to  handle  the  object 
several  times  in  the  manner  that  the  ultimate  gesture 
is  to  suggest.  In  The  Soul  of  the  Violin,  a  Narrative 
Reading,  which  contains  a  long  soliloquy  by  the  old 
violin  player,  it  is  necessary  faintly  to  suggest  the 
attitude  of  playing.  One  who  has  never  held  a  violin 
or  tried  to  draw  the  bow  properly  across  the  strings 
will  be  unable  to  give  an  effective  suggestion  of 
playing.  His  hands  will  not  rest  easily  in  the  initial 
position,  and  the  occasional  movements  will  not  re- 


152         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

spond  to  the  natural  rli\thm  of  the  speech.  The  most 
effective  way  to  accompHsh  the  suggestion  for  this 
action  is,  first,  to  hold  a  real  violin  and  get  the  "feel" 
of  the  instrument  in  the  hand.  The  movement  of  the 
bow  should  be  tried  a  few  times,  and  then,  laying  the 
instrument  aside,  the  student  should  pantomime  the 
action  literally.  In  the  final  practice,  the  impulse  to 
continue  the  pantomime  will  be  checked  after  the  ini- 
tial movement,  and  a  series  of  highly  suggestive  mo- 
tions will  be  the  unified  result.  No  suggestive  action 
can  be  successfully  accomplished  until  an  experience 
in  the  literal  action  has  been  had. 

Another  illustration  is  apt:  In  giving  John  Burns 
of  Gettysburg  the  emotive  description  of  old  John  as 
''he  stood  there  picking  the  rebels  off  with  his  long 
brown  rifle  and  bell-crowned  hat,"  demands  a  sug- 
gestive attitude  on  the  part  of  the  reader.  One  who 
has  never  held  a  rifle  to  his  shoulder  will  not  easily 
assume  the  correct  suggestive  position  for  his  hands 
and  arms.  To  pantomime  literally  the  holding  of  the 
imaginary  rifle  would  be  out  of  place,  but  a  sugges- 
tion of  the  pantomime  may  be  helpful,  and  the  best 
method  of  acquiring  the  suggestion  is  to  practise  the 
two  preceding  steps,  first  using  a  real  rifle,  next  giv- 
ing the  literal  pantomime,  and  finally  using  the  initial 
position  in  the  raising  of  the  rifle  and  halting  the  ges- 
ture at  about  the  waist  line,  the  left  hand  in  front  with 
the  palm  up  and  the  right  hand  at  the  hip,  palm  in- 
ward and  elbow  back.  If  the  weight  is  thrown  for- 
ward on  the  left  foot  and  the  neck  and  head  pushed 
forward  intensely  while  the  eyes  look  steadily  in  one 
direction,  the  suggestion  is  perfect. 


READING  153 

In  Ben  Ilur's  chariot  race  the  moment  of  the  win- 
ning of  the  race  by  Ben  Hur  is  intensely  emotional. 
The  reader,  besides  assuming  the  emotional  tone  with 
which  he  utters  the  words  "the  whip  hissed,"  etc.,  will 
unconsciously  assume  the  alert  bodily  attitude,  weight 
forward,  one  arm  elevated  to  the  level  of  the  head, 
the  other  to  the  shoulders  while  the  uplifted  hand  gives 
an  occasional  movement  at  the  wrist  to  suggest  Ben 
Hur's  action  or  what  might  be  the  sympathetic  action 
of  any  one  of  the  witnesses  to  the  race  in  following 
the  movement  of  the  hissing  whip.  The  action, 
as  well  as  the  voice,  in  emotional  descriptive  pas- 
sages may  suggest  the  atmosphere  of  excitement 
through  the  mood  of  some  one  supposedly  present, 
although  the  reader  may  not  use  the  character's 
own  words. 

Treatment  of  Mood  Representation  v/ithin  Nor- 
mal Characterization. — When  in  pure  reading  it 
becomes  necessary  for  a  normal  character  to  quote 
previous  conversations,  no  attempt  is  ever  made  at 
complete  vocal  or  facial  characterization,  and  there  is 
very  little  effort  made  to  reproduce  the  mood  of  the 
persons  quoted,  There  is  an  occasional  instance  where 
a  perfectly  ordinary  character  is  suj^posed  to  try  to 
imitate  some  one  in  a  former  conversation  in  order 
to  express  the  uuusual  mood  of  the  person  quoted. 
\M-ienever  the  mood  is  usual,  as  in  the  majority  of 
cases,  the  original  speaker  in  his  own  mood  merely 
tells  what  was  said.  In  all  cases  the  action  will  be 
subjective  in  gesture  and  facial  expression,  and  sug- 
gestive. In  the  case  of  the  unusual  mood  reproduced, 
the  imitation  will  never  extend  further  than  a  lolun- 


154         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

tary  change  in  the  elements  of  voice.  Since  mood 
representation  is  all  that  is  important  in  pure  reading, 
the  quoted  conversations  should  merely  color  the  m.ood 
of  the  person  speaking.  When  Cassius  quotes  Cesar's 
'*Give  me  to  drink,  Titinius,"  he  is  endeavoring  to  make 
Brutus  feel  Caesar's  lack  of  manliness,  so  he  introduces 
a  slight  imitation  of  Caesar's  whining  tone.  The 
reader  must  not  step  formally  into  Caesar's  character 
with  supplicating  gesture  and  anxious  facial  expres- 
sion, but  rather  he  must  keep  Cassius'  ironical  mood 
and  attitude  as  he  is  talking  to  Brutus,  showing  only 
in  the  voice  the  suggestion  of  Caesar's  whine. 

Treatment  of  Vocal  Imitation  in  Pure  Reading. — 
There  are  many  occasions  in  pure  reading  where  it  is 
necessary  to  suggest  strongly  certain  nature  sounds 
which  are  represented  for  the  sake  of  onomatopoeia. 
Here  the  voice  by  a  little  conscious  change  in  quality, 
pitch  or  time,  may  often  give  an  extraordinarily  subtle 
suggestion.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  a  literal  imita- 
tion would  be  out  of  place  in  pure  reading,  but  the 
suggestion  embodied  in  the  phonetic  composition  of 
the  words  themselves  adds  materially  to  the  connota- 
tion which  the  author  had  in  mind  when  he  wrote  the 
selection.  Poe's  The  Bells  and  Tennyson's  Bloii', 
Bugle,  Blozv,  are  both  onomatopoeic  and  were  writ- 
ten to  suggest  the  sounds  so  graphically  described.  If 
mere  thought  or  explanation  of  the  different  kinds  of 
bells  had  been  Poe's  intention,  he  would  not  have 
repeated  the  word,  ''bells"  in  the  obvious  rhythm  of 
the  mood  he  wished  to  express.  It  was  his  intention 
to  suggest  the  sounds  of  the  different  kinds  of  bells. 


READING  155 

The  reading  of  the  Bugle  Song  does  not  need  a  Hteral 
imitation  of  the  bugle  call,  but  the  word  "blow"  will 
be  given  longer  time  value  than  usual,  and  ''dying" 
will  in  repetition  suggest  the  dying  notes  if  longer 
and  longer  quantity  with  correspondingly  diminishing 
force  be  applied  to  the  last  syllable.  Tennyson,  him- 
self, is  the  authority  for  this  rendition.  Some  years 
ago  he  was  asked  by  Mr.  Ward,  the  great  English 
scholar  and  friend  of  Tennyson,  why  he  always  pro- 
longed the  last  syllable  and  subdued  the  force  on  the 
succeeding  repetitions  of  the  word  "dying,"  and 
Tennyson  replied  that  the  whole  idea  "sounded  that 
zvay  to  him."  It  is  true  that  authors  are  not  always 
competent  authority  on  the  oral  expression  of  their 
own  works,  but  when  we  are  fortunate  enough  to 
learn  at  first-hand  an  author's  purpose  of  connotation, 
we  are  accomplishing  the  ideal  of  all  true  reading  if 
we  carry  out  that  purpose.  Tennyson's  purpose,  ac- 
cording to  Mr.  Ward,  was  to  suggest  to  the  minds  of 
all  who  hear  the  Bugle  Song  read,  the  vivid  audi- 
tory imagery  of  the  dying  notes  of  a  bugle  call.  Of 
course  there  was  a  deeper  and  more  significant  pur- 
pose in  the  spiritual  suggestion  inspired  by  the  notes 
of  the  bugle,  but  Tennyson  believed  the  one  suggestion 
made  more  powerful  the  other. 

It  is  extremely  rare  that  a  normal  character  is  re- 
(luired  to  imitate,  but  if  such  is  the  case,  the  reader 
should  only  suggest  the  imitation  in  the  slightest  pos- 
sible way.  If  the  words  "bells"  and  "dying"  were 
put  into  the  conversation  of  a  normal  character,  there 
would    be   no    real    justification    for    suggesting   the 


156         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

sounds,  because  ordinary  people  are  not  likely  to 
express  themselves  onomatopoeically  in  conversation, 
but  since  these  poems  are  lyrical  and  hence  universal 
in  their  appeal,  the  reader  may  make  the  appeal  more 
widely  connotative  by  bringing  out  the  onomatopoeic 
effect. 

The  Suggestion  of  Song  in  Pure  Reading. — Since 
pure  reading  is  almost  wholly  suggestive,  it  follows 
that  anything  which  attempts  realism,  where  sugges- 
tion will  do  as  well,  is  out  of  place.  Literal  singing 
is  not  advisable  in  pure  reading.  Aside  from  the 
fact  that  the  mood  of  the  song  and  7tof  the  tune  is  the 
essential  thing,  an  unaccompanied  song  in  the  midst 
of  a  serious  reading  has  a  peculiar  disquieting  effect 
upon  an  audience.  Even  if  the  reader  has  a  good 
voice  and  is  able  to  pitch  it  at  the  right  key,  the  effect 
is  not  so  powerful  as  if  read  colorfully  with  a  narrow 
range  of  speech  melody.  The  mind  of  the  audience  is 
almost  sure  to  be  drawn  away  from  the  thought  and 
the  feeling  in  the  words,  and  become  concerned  with 
the  tune  or  the  quality  of  the  singer's  voice.  The 
reading  of  the  words  will  be  much  more  impressive 
and  at  the  same  time  preserve  the  situation  of  the 
supposed  singer  in  his  surroundings.  In  Dunbar's 
When  Malindy  Sings,  we  have  a  poem  which  is  more 
important  for  its  mood  than  for  any  characterization 
of  the  speaker,  who  is  telling  about  Malindy's  beautiful 
voice.  The  speaker  here  is  not  even  supposed  to  sing ; 
he  is  merely  repeating  the  words  of  the  song  that 
Malindy  sometimes  sings,  and  yet  frequently  we  hear 
readers  take  Malindy's   character  and   literally   sing. 


READING  157 

The  mood  of  Malindy's  admirer  is  all  that  Is  necessary 
for  expression.     Even  the  dialect  is  not  necessary. 

In  the  Burgundian  defiance  scene  from  //  /  Were 
King,  by  J.  H.  McCarthy,  Lady  Katherine  is  supposed 
to  sing.  Here  the  reader  actually  assumes  the  mood 
of  Katherine  while  she  sings,  but  he  should  not  at- 
tempt the  tune,  for  if  he  does  the  audience  is  sure  to 
think  more  of  the  voice  quality  or  the  melody  than  the 
meaning  of  the  song  or  its  place  in  the  story.  In 
comedy  readings,  especially  those  frankly  eccentric, 
the  introduction  of  a  tune  often  adds  to  the  comedy, 
but  in  serious  selections  the  reader  will  be  more  truly 
artistic  if  he  is  able  to  suggest  to  the  imagination  of 
his  audience  the  beautiful  song  and  the  voice,  apart 
from  himself. 

]\Iany  readers  have  a  mania  for  "reciting  to  music," 
and  are  never  willing  to  appear  on  a  public  program 
without  an  accompanist  at  the  piano  to  assist  in 
"making  effective"  Aux  If  aliens  or  An  Old  Szveet- 
heart  of  Mine  by  the  synchronous  rendering  of  Hearts 
and  Flowers  or  Cazalleria  Rustieana.  From  the 
standpoint  of  an  "act"  in  vaudeville,  it  may  be  con- 
sidered effective,  but  as  an  artistic  presentation  by  a 
reader,  it  is  not  to  be  thought  of.  If  the  piece  is  effec- 
tive when  accompanied  by  music,  it  is  the  musician 
who  has  produced  the  effect — not  the  reader.  The 
music  has  a  highly  emotional  effect,  but  is  vague,  and 
in  almost  every  case  so  completely  occupies  the  mind 
of  the  audience  that  it  can  not  follow  intelligently  the 
thought  of  the  selection.  How  many  people  who  sing 
our  church  hymns  know   the  meaning  of  what  they 


158         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

are  singing?  How  many  are  there  who  get  more 
than  a  general  impression  of  the  meaning  of  any  song 
that  they  hear  sung?  The  melody  subtly  takes  the 
place  of  the  meaning  of  the  words  and  the  audience 
is  none  the  wiser.  This  can  be  easily  demonstrated  if 
the  teacher  will  ask  one  of  his  best  students  to  read 
at  sight  a  familiar  hymn.  Nine  out  of  ten  students 
will  find  that  the  memory  of  the  tune  so  dominates 
the  reading  that  the  sense  is  obscured. 

The  reader's  art  should  be  enough  to  suggest  the 
situation  and  the  sentiment  of  a  selection  without  the 
aid  of  ''stage  effects"  in  the  form  of  a  musical  accom- 
paniment. When  these  effects  are  employed,  the  true 
impression  is  often  lost  altogether.  The  audience 
weeps  rather  indefinitely  and  murmurs,  "Wasn't  that 
beautiful?"  while  all  the  real  beauty  of  the  lines  was 
swallowed  up  in  a  hazy  conception  of  melody — sad 
melody  which  conveyed  no  meaning.  Little  humor- 
ous songs,  written  to  be  sung,  may  be  read  to  their 
own  accompaniment,  but  they  should  not  be  classed 
as  real  material  for  the  reader's  art.  The  point  is 
that  poems,  written  apart  from  any  conception  of 
music,  are  best  interpreted  without  it.  A  GOOD 
reader  does  not  NEED  an  accompanist  to  make  any- 
thing he  reads  effective. 

First  and  Third  Person  Narrative. — Since  the 
reader  in  pure  reading  is  concerned  with  no  charac- 
terization of  an  eccentric  or  abnormal  nature,  and  since 
mood  alone  is  the  predominating  factor,  narrative 
(except    narration    within    a    soliloquy,    implied    dia- 


READING  159 

logue,  or  direct  address  composition)  written  in  the 
first  person  will  receive  the  same  treatment  as  that 
written  in  the  third  person. 

Most  of  Alark  Twain's  narratives  are  written  in 
the  first  person.  They  are  not  to  be  considered  as 
Monologues  or  Eccentric  Addresses,  for  the  narrator 
is  not  in  any  present  tense  situation.  When  conversa- 
tions are  quoted,  they  may  be  given  as  the  original 
conversations  without  regard  to  the  person  of  the 
narrator  at  all.  The  rule  that  "whenever  the  narration 
could  as  well  have  been  written  in  the  third  person, 
it  may  be  given  without  regard  to  the  person  of  the 
narrator*'  applies  in  pure  reading  as  it  does  in  imper- 
sonative  reading.  In  A  Critical  Situation,  Mr.  Clem- 
ens narrates  an  incident  in  which  he  and  his  friend, 
Harris,  became  involved.  He  quotes  Harris,  the 
young  woman,  her  son  and  himself  all  in  conversa- 
tion. It  is  related  in  the  past  tense,  and  we  are  not 
concerned  with  the  situation  of  the  narrator  at  the 
time  of  his  telling  the  tale.  We  are  interested  only 
in  the  events  and  conversations  of  the  story.  It 
could  as  well  have  been  written  in  the  third  person, 
using  the  words,  ''As  Harris  and  Clemens  were  seated," 
etc.,  instead  of  *'As  Harris  and  I  were  seated,"  thus 
making  the  narrative  impersonal.  In  delivery,  there- 
fore, since  the  audience  is  not  interested  in  the  nar- 
rator as  an  important  person  in  a  present  tense  scene, 
the  reader  may  use  the  first  person  just  as  it  is  written, 
but  still  feel  free  to  assume  the  moods  of  the  young 
woman,  the  boy,  Harris  and  'T"  without  making  them 


i6o         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

secondary  or  reflected  in  the  mood  of  the  narrator. 
In  fact  the  narrator  becomes  simply  the  reader  and 
for  the  moment  makes  the  story  his  own. 

In  Browning's  My  Last  Duchess,  we  have  a  differ- 
ent situation.  Here  the  audience  is  concerned  with 
the  present  tense  situation  and  in  the  narrator  as  one 
immediately  concerned  in  the  scene.  The  selection  is 
a  Reading  IMonologue,  not  a  Narrative  Reading  in 
the  first  person.  The  person  speaking  is  the  duke  at 
all  times,  and  the  audience  is  interested  in  the  duke 
as  he  explains  to  the  messenger  the  significance  of 
the  lady's  smile  in  the  painting  of  the  duchess.  When 
the  duke  says,  ''Perhaps  Era  Pandolf  chanced  to  say, 
*My  lady's  mantle,'  etc.,"  he  merely  quotes  the  words  of 
the  artist;  he  is  not  free  to  assume  formally  the 
artist's  mood.  The  audience  sees  the  duke  and  the 
messenger  and  the  painting  on  the  wall.  It  does  not 
picture  Era  Pandolf  in  the  scene.  The  selection  could 
not  as  well  have  been  written  in  the  third  person  for 
here  the  mood  of  the  speaker  telling  a  tale  to  a  sup- 
posed listener  is  more  important  than  the  incidents 
of  the  tale  itself. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE   VARIED   TREATMENT   OF  TYPES 

Selections  for  Either  Impersonative  or  Pure  Read- 
ing.— In  classifying  selections  under  their  proper 
divisions  according  to  the  type  of  presentation  re- 
quired, it  is  natural  that  we  shall  find  some  kinds 
which  apparently  may  be  presented  as  effectively 
through  one  form  as  another.  These  are  selections  in 
which  it  seems  doubtful  whether  the  author's  pur- 
pose was  to  exploit  literal  action,  or  characterization, 
or  mood  alone.  Rarely  is  there  any  doubt  concerning 
the  purpose  for  literal  action,  for  the  author  usually 
suggests  parenthetically  the  action  intended,  so  we 
may  safely  eliminate  personating  from  this  problem 
and  consider  only  how  to  determine  whether  these 
doubtful  selections  shall  be  given  through  impersona- 
tive reading  or  pure  reading.  Of  course,  it  is  under- 
stood that  when  the  author's  purpose  is  perfectly 
clear  we  shall  not  hesitate  to  classify  according  to 
that  purpose,  but  occasionally  there  are  other  elements 
which  may  govern  the  choice  of  delivery,  especially  in 
that  large  class  of  narrative  literature  which  was  not 
originally  intended  for  public  reading  and  in  which 
the  need  for  characterization  rather  than  mood  ex- 
pression was  not  particularly  considered  at  the  time 
of  writing.     When,  therefore,  the  author's  purpose  is 

i6i 


i62         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

not  clear,  the  occasion,  the  audience  conditions  or  the 
readers  own  mood  at  the  time  of  tJie  reading  may 
determine  his  choice  of  presentation.  Let  us  imagine, 
for  example,  an  informal  occasion ;  the  audience  a 
group  of  working  men  and  women  from  the  factories 
and  mines ;  and  the  reader  himself  in  a  jovial  mood 
arising  from  the  informality  of  the  occasion.  The 
selection  to  be  given  is,  let  us  say,  Old  Chxmis,  by 
Alice  Carey.  Now  in  this  selection  either  comedy 
characterization  or  mere  expression  of  the  old  man's 
mood  will  be  effective,  but  the  tired  factory  men  and 
women,  unused  to  literary  efforts,  and  loving  informal 
rather  than  formal  occasions,  will  undoubtedly  enjoy 
more  the  comedy  characterization  through  impersona- 
tive  reading.  If  the  same  reading  were  to  be  offered 
in  Boston  at  the  University  Club,  the  wise  reader 
would  choose  pure  reading  as  his  method  of  presenta- 
tion. The  selection  would  be  classified  normally  as  a 
Character  Monologue,  but  the  audience  condition 
might  demand  that  it  be  elevated  to  the  Reading 
Monologue  class  when  given  before  the  University 
Club. 

Selections  Unmistakable  in  Classification. — There 
are  certain  selections  which  must  be  given  but 
one  presentation  because  any  other  way  would  defeat 
their  purpose.  Here  the  audience  conditions  can  not 
be  taken  into  consideration  as  to  what  delivery  they 
may  demand.  If  the  audience  is  such  that  it  would 
not  care  for  simple  personations,  the  wise  reader  will 
omit  them  rather  than  attempt  giving  them  through 
pure   reading.     If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  audience 


READING  i6^ 

is  too  uninformed  to  understand  Browning's  Blot  on  the 
Scutcheon,  it  is  better  not  to  give  it  than  to  burlesque 
it  through  impersonative  reading.  In  most  cases, 
however,  unless  the  selection  is  too  difficult  from  a 
literary  standpoint,  it  may  be  introduced  in  a  varied 
program  not  overbalanced  by  too  much  classic  ma- 
terial, and  the  pure  reading  will  be  appreciated  by 
way  of  contrast. 

If  Alarjory  Benton  Cooke's  At  the  Matinee  is  to  be 
given  at  all,  it  must  be  personated.  No  other  presenta- 
tion is  adequate.  It  was  written  for  literal  action 
and  without  it  the  piece  would  be  a  failure.  If  the 
Literary  Club  before  which  the  reader  is  to  entertain 
is  so  conservative  that  it  considers  any  kind  of  person- 
ating undignified,  then  At  the  Matinee  should  not  be 
offered  at  the  Literary  Club. 

The  same  thing  may  be  said  of  impersonative  read- 
ing. Fin  de  Sleclc  should  either  be  read  impersona- 
tively,  representing  the  eccentric  dude  or  it  should 
not  be  read  at  all.  This  type,  however,  will  often  be 
acceptable  where  the  piece  requiring  literal  action  will 
not.  Dickens'  Christmas  Carol  requires  eccentric 
characterization,  and  loses  half  its  charm  if  read  by 
merely  expressing  the  moods.  Dickens,  of  all  English 
novelists,  was  a  character  delineator  and  his  purpose 
was  to  picture  eccentric  types.  He  often  read  publicly 
and  it  is  known  that  he  presented  the  Christ }nas  Carol 
through  impersonative  reading. 

Longfellow's  King  Robert  of  Sicily  should  be 
given  only  through  pure  reading.  There  are  no  ec- 
centric   characters.     The   whole   theme    is    dependent 


i64         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

on  moods,  and  to  impersonate  any  of  the  characters 
would  sacrifice  too  much  of  the  thought  and  feehng 
in  the  situation.  Some  readers  are  tempted  to  make 
the  old  sexton  eccentric,  but  careful  analysis  will 
show  that  he  is  an  unimportant  character  and  should 
not  be  made  at  all  conspicuous.  Impersonative  treat- 
ment would  make  him  so,  therefore,  the  line  ''Who 
is  there?"  should  be  spoken  merely  in  the  mood  of 
fear,  with  no  attempt  at  producing  a  cracked  or 
trembling  voice,  or  drawing  in  the  lips  to  picture  a 
toothless  old  man.  The  audience  is  not  concerned  with 
him  except  as  he  opens  the  door  for  King  Robert, 
the  chief  person  in  the  poem. 

My  Last  Duchess  must  be  given  through  pure 
reading.  The  duke  is  not  eccentric.  He  is  merely  a 
jealous  man,  and  his  mood  dominates  the  whole  read- 
ing. To  call  attention  to  any  external  eccentricity  of 
character,  or  to  make  the  duke  walk  about  and  "put 
aside  the  curtain"  literally  would  take  the  mind  of 
the  audience  away  from  the  all  important  conception 
of  his  mood. 

Selections  Impossible  to  Classify  as  Readings. — 
(i.)  The  Burlesque.  There  are  certain  selections 
which  may  belong  to  the  regular  classification,  but 
when  frankly  overdone  and  overacted  become  the 
Burlesque.  Any  selection  is  capable  of  being  bur- 
lesqued but  there  are  a  great  many  which  can  not  be 
so  misused  without  showing  gross  bad  taste  on  the 
part  of  the  performer.  Some  selections  are  written 
purposely  to  be  burlesciue ;  for  instance,  F.  Anstey's 
version  of  Burglar  Bill  wherein  a  young  elocutionist 


READING  165 

is  being  taught  to  "render"  the  old  poem  by  that 
naiiie.  All  the  laws  of  elocution  are  purposely  vio- 
lated in  a  frank  attempt  to  ridicule  the  stage  struck 
elocutionist.  Here  the  reader  is  free  to  do  as  he 
likes,  for  he  is  supposed  to  make  the  situation  as 
ridiculous  as  possible. 

(2.)  The  Inconsistent  Composition.  Many  selections, 
written  for  public  reading  by  young  authors  who  are 
ignorant  of  the  principles  of  public  presentation,  are 
incapable  of  consistent  delivery,  for  they  are  them- 
selves confusing.  There  are  a  few  so  called  "Acting'* 
Monologues  in  which  the  author  directs  the  reader  to 
have  a  suit-case,  a  scarf,  a  telephone,  a  baby  and  a 
whole  trunk  full  of  stage  properties  in  order  to  give 
a  ten-minute  selection  which  could  be  given  just  as 
well  without  the  properties.  The  true  reader,  if  he 
gives  such  a  selection  at  all,  will  rearrange  it  to  be 
consistent  with  the  actual  necessities  of  the  case. 
Our  Folks,  by  Ethel  Lynn,  is  an  example  of  an  incon- 
sistent composition  form.  It  starts  out  in  implied 
dialogue  and  continues  until  about  half-w^ay  when 
suddenly  the  character  whose  replies  have  been  as- 
sumed begins  to  talk.  Then  later  the  reader  becomes 
himself  long  enough  to  give  the  explanatory  line 
"Only  the  old  camp  raven  croaks."  The  inconsist- 
ency of  this  selection  is  not  serious  for  the  theme  is 
one  that  is  not  dependent  upon  characterization  or 
eccentricity.  The  only  weakness  lies  in  the  fact  that 
the  audience  may  be  confused  when  the  new  charac- 
ter speaks,  for  they  are  introduced  to  the  monologue 
form  and  naturally  expect  it  to  continue.     Our  Folks 


i66         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

is  neither  a  complete  Reading  Monologue  nor  a  Nar- 
rative Reading,  so  it  is  not  possible  to  classify  it. 
(j.)  Stunts,  or  Imitations.  Selections  which  frankly 
exploit  nature  sounds  and  imitations  may  rightly  be 
called  "stunts."  They  should  not  be  called  readings. 
Fred  Emerson  Brooks'  Barnyard  Melodies  was  writ- 
ten to  give  opportunity  for  a  versatile  imitator  to  imi- 
tate the  creatures  of  the  farm,  and  in  the  hands  of  a 
skilled  (not  necessarily  artistic)  entertainer,  the  se- 
lection is  very  pleasing. 

(4.)  Ventriloqtiisni.  Ventriloquism  is  another  enter- 
taining stunt  popular  in  vaudeville,  but  not  at  all 
advisable  to  incorporate  in  a  reading.  It  involves  too 
much  mechanical  effort  to  allow  its  user  the  freedom 
of  real  suggestion.  Ventriloquism  is  to  the  ear  what 
legerdemain  is  to  the  eye — deceit.  The  ventriloquist 
by  calling  attention  to  a  certain  part  of  the  platform, 
behind,  outside  the  wings  or  at  the  side,  induces  the 
audience  to  imagine  the  voice  to  come  from  whatever 
direction  has  been  indicated.  The  audience  is  con- 
scious of  the  trick  and  is  occupied  in  wondering  how 
it  is  done  rather  than  in  thinking  about  what  is  said. 
Ventriloquism  is  a  matter  of  skill,  not  of  art,  and 
consists  in  speaking  back  in  the  throat  at  various 
pitches  and  degrees  of  force  to  correspond  with  the 
effect  which  various  distances  in  speech  have  upon  the 
ear.  This  mechanical  accomplishment,  assisted  by 
judgment  and  tact  in  persuading  the  audience  to 
listen  for  sound  coming  from  different  directions  and 
distances,  is  the  whole  secret  of  ventriloquism.  Cor- 
respondingly,  the   secret   of   legerdemain   lies   in   the 


READING  167 

ability  to  draw  the  risual  attention  to  any  given  point 
while  skilfully  palming  articles  made  to  appear 
and  disappear.  The  inadvisability  of  using  ventrilo- 
quism in  reading  is  illustrated  in  the  case  of  the  young- 
woman  who  read  Romeo  and  Juliet.  When  giving 
the  call  of  the  old  nurse,  supposedly  out  of  sight  in 
Juliet's  chamber,  the  reader  placed  her  voice  in  the 
back  of  her  throat  and  called  "Juliet,"  trying  at  the 
same  moment  to  keep  the  facial  expression  of  Juliet 
beatific.  The  strain  on  her  throat  proved  too  much 
for  her  facial  control,  and  Juliet  at  that  moment 
looked  more  like  a  certain  famous  motion  picture  star 
when  registering  the  surprise  caused  by  an  unex- 
pected blow  on  the  head.  If  the  reader  had  been  a 
skilful  ventriloquist,  she  might  have  avoided  the 
blank  expression,  but  in  any  event  she  could  not  have 
avoided  the  abrupt  change  of  attention  on  the  part 
of  the  audience. 

The  use  of  "sleight  of  hand"  in  a  reading  is  illus- 
trated by  the  work  of  a  prominent  reader  who  intro- 
duces a  large  silk  handkerchief  in  the  conversation 
between  Othello  and  lago.  It  represents  the  handker- 
chief that  Othello  has  given  to  Desdemona  and  which 
lago  now  shows  to  Othello.  At  the  moment  when 
lago  gives  back  the  handkerchief  to  Othello,  the 
reader  in  using  the  real  handkerchief  is  obliged  to 
transfer  it  from  himself  to  himself  and  then  get  it 
out  of  sight  when  lago  speaks  again.  To  do  this  the 
reader  becomes  "magician"  and  makes  several  quick 
moves  which  causes  the  audience  to  wonder  "how 
that    handkerchief    disappeared,"    a    thought    which 


i68         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

should  never  occur  to  a  reader's  audience.  In  the 
first  place  no  handkerchief  is  necessary.  The  reader 
does  not  even  need  to  suggest  the  action  for  the  lines 
themselves  are  enough.  In  the  second  place,  the 
"sleight  of  hand"  movements  take  the  attention  of  the 
audience  entirely  away  from  the  scene. 

In  a  comedy  "stunt"  like  Siinonson's  Baby,  in  vvhich 
the  principal  entertaining  feature  is  the  imitation  of 
the  crying  baby  held  in  the  arms  of  an  irate  father, 
the  ventriloquism  adds  comedy  which  does  not  injure 
the  purpose  of  the  selection,  for  the  purpose  is  frankly 
ridiculous. 

When  done  frankly  for  the  amusement  and  curiosity 
of  an  audience,  ventriloquism  is  permissible,  but  intro- 
duced in  presenting  a  piece  of  literature  worthy  to  be 
accepted  for  its  literary  value,  it  becomes  another  one 
of  those  little  accidentals  which  not  only  take  up  time 
but  turn  the  attention  of  the  audience  from  the  im- 
portant things.  Legerdemain  makes  a  splendid 
novelty  for  entertainment,  but  when  introduced  to  get 
rid  of  handkerchiefs,  watches,  or  other  unnecessary 
things  often  brought  into  a  reading,  it  defeats  the  real 
purpose  of  the  reader's  art. 


PART   THREE 
Method  of  Study 


CHAPTER  XII 


GENERAL   DISCUSSION 


Introductory  Statement. — Teachers  of  English 
and  the  practical  forms  of  Public  Speaking  are  some- 
times inclined  to  minimize  the  importance  of  dramatic 
work  and  public  reading.  Many,  indeed,  ridicule  the 
teaching  of  acting  as  a  subject  unworthy  of  receiving 
college  credit.  They  do  not  realize  that  genuine 
dramatic  culture  is  in  reality  as  essential  for  ultimate 
success  in  public  reading  as  the  study  of  mathematics 
is  necessary  for  success  in  engineering;  that  success 
in  practical  public  speaking  depends  upon  a  knowl- 
edge of  people ;  and  that  the  best  knowledge  of  people 
can  come  only  through  a  study  of  moods,  disposi- 
tions, and  the  various  means  of  expressing  thought 
and  feeling  through  voice  and  action.  It  is  difficult 
to  make  the  young  teacher  of  public  speaking  see  that 
something  more  than  intellect  is  necessary  in  reading 
aloud  a  piece  of  literature  so  that  it  will  awaken  the 
imagination  of  an  audience  to  a  full  conception  of  its 
value.  He  is  surprised  that  some  of  his  brightest 
students  can  fail  so  utterly  in  presenting  publicly 
literature  that  he  knows  they  thoroughly  understand. 
They  have  interpreted  the  meaning  exactly  and  yet 
the  audience  was  not  moved.  In  his  college  course  in 
"Methods,"  the  young  teacher  had  been  taught  to  see 

171 


172         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

that  his  students  ''get  the  thought,  hold  tlie  thought, 
and  give  the  thought,"  but  when  these  same  students 
read  for  pul)Hc  entertainment,  someway  he  finds  that 
getting,  giving  and  holding  the  thought  is  not  enough. 
This  is  the  very  point.  The  THOUGHT  is  not 
enough!  It  is  not  even  the  first  essential  in  preparing 
the  student  for  adequate  public  reading.'*'  Thought  is 
not  the  beginning  of  wisdom;  it  is  the  I'csult  of  wis- 
dom. It  is  the  constantly  growing  result  of  years  of 
sensory  experience  and  expanding  emotional  impres- 
sions ;  it  is  not  the  foundation  of  these  experiences. 

The  purpose  of  the  following  chapters  is  to  show 
that  the  highest  type  of  suggestive  and  imaginative 
presentation,  namely,  pure  reading,  can  be  attained 
only  through  the  natural  and  logical  development  of 
the  student,  first,  in  acting;  secoud,  in  personating; 
third,  in  impersonative  reading ;  and  last,  in  pure  read- 
ing. This  logical  development  corresponds  to  the 
natural  development  of  human  expression  through 
I    physical,  emotional  and  finally  intellectual  activity. 

In  taking  up  this  plan  of  study,  we  are  assuming 
that  the  student  is  at  least  fifteen  years  of  age  and 
has  had  the  regular  physical  and  mental  development 
corresponding  to  his  years;  that  he  has  already 
reached  the  reasoning  period  and  can  ''get  the  thought, 
hold  the  thought,  and  give  the  thought"  of  the  printed 


*This  statement  does  not,  of  course,  apply  to  the  student 
of  common  reading  from  the  page.  This  chapter  is  dealing 
solely  with  the  professional  student  of  public  reading  who 
has  already  passed  the  stage  of  intelligent  reading  from  the 
page,  and  is  at  the  point  of  beginning  his  preparation  for  a 
public  career. 


STUDY  173 

page ;  and  tliat  this  (levelopment,  of  course,  has  been 
without  conscious  thought  of  the  process  on  the  part 
of  the  student.  In  order  to  develop  consciously  in  the 
art  of  suggestion,  the  student  must  consciously  go 
back  to  the  beginnings  of  his  experiences  and  re-liTC 
them — this  time  governed  by  conscious  reasoning 
while  registcrini^  their  mental  imagery.  It  is  easier 
to  teach  a  child  to  act  than  to  teach  a  grown  person, 
but  it  is  impossible  to  teach  a  child  to  understand  the 
art  of  suggestion.  People  marvel  at  the  naturalness 
of  the  acting  done  by  little  children  in  the  movies  and 
on  the  stage  and  wonder  how  it  was  possible  to  teach 
them.  They  think,  of  course,  that  these  children  are 
prodigies.  In  reality  they  are  just  normal,  healthy 
children  giving  expression  to  a  natural  instinct, 
namely  to  imitate  "grown-ups."  They  have  not 
reached  the  self-conscious  age  where  the  intellect 
suppresses  the  instinct  because  others  are  watching. 
If  a  child  is  allowed  to  increase  his  motor  imagery 
and  expand  his  power  of  imitation,  he  may  pass  the 
stage  of  self-consciousness  without  serious  loss,  but 
often  the  parents  are  so  proud  of  their  offspring's 
"talent"  that  they  keep  urging  him  to  perform  until 
he  becomes  conscious  of  his  effort  and  either  begins 
to  overdo  or  else  gets  self-conscious  and  suppresses 
his  instincts.  Later,  when  he  enters  the  public  school, 
he  begins  the  systematic  mental  development  which 
overtops  his  acting  instincts  so  that  by  the  time  he 
reaches  high  school,  they  are  completely  subjected 
and  often  forgotten. 

If  in  high  school  the  student  is  having  the  prcTper 


174         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

training  in  common  reading,  he  is  learning  to  under- 
stand the  thought  of  the  printed  page,  to  hold  the 
thought  in  mind,  and  to  express  the  thought  orally 
to  the  class.  He  is  also  learning  to  express  emotion 
vocally,  perhaps,  but  he  does  not  have  training  in 
bodily  expression,  or  action. 

We  shall  first  review  the  natural  order  of  human 
development  in  unconscious  expression  from  birth  to 
adolescence,  and  then  show  how  the  cultivation  of 
cojiscious  expression  follows  the  same  natural  order 
in  progressing  from  realistic  imitation  to  the  fine  art 
of  suggestion. 

The  Development  of  Human  Expression. — At 
birth  the  child  is  a  mere  bundle  of  physical  impulses 
and  desires.  There  is  no  thought  until  it  is  evolved 
from  physical  activity  and  continued  response  to 
sensations.  As  Mark  Twain  says,  "When  baby  smiles 
in  her  sleep,  she  is  not  dreaming  of  angels — it  is  only 
wind  on  the  stomach."  According  to  Messrs.  Fulton 
and  Trueblood  in  Practical  Elocution  the  first  mental 
development  of  the  child  is  merely  sentient,  or  the  un- 
conscious recording  of  impressions  from  the  physical 
senses.  The  first  emotional  development  is  sensitive- 
ness, and  the  child  cries  but  is  not  conscious  of  its 
cry.  Then  follows  a  balance  of  mental  and  emotional 
development :  On  the  emotional  side  the  child  be- 
comes in  successive  stages,  affectional-passional,  self- 
preservative,  social,  moral  and  finally  spiritual ;  men- 
tally he  becomes  instinctive,  perceptive,  memorative, 
imaginative,  and  at  last  a  reasoning  being.  It  is  not 
until  he  has  reached  the  reasoning  stage  that  he  can 


STUDY  175 

be  said  to  possess  thought.  Until  some  time  after 
reason  appears  all  action  and  vocal  utterance  arc  in- 
stinctive or  imitative  in  response  to  mental  imagery, 
and  development  up  to  this  point  is  unconscious. 
When  reason  manifests  itself,  it  gradually  becomes  a 
basis  for  self-culture,  or  conscious  development ;  it 
begins  to  record  consciously  physical  and  emotional 
experiences.  As  soon  as  the  mind  is  able  to  take  con- 
scious thought  of  expression,  it  should  be  allowed  to 
follow  from  the  beginning  the  laws  of  development 
and  thus  make  conscious  expression  natural. 

The  first  attention  should  be  given  to  the  body  in 
physical  culture  and  voice  training.  If  the  early 
grammar  school  training  in  common  reading  has  been 
neglected  (and  in  most  cases,  it  has)  the  student 
should  next  be  given  a  thorough  course  wherein  the 
principles  of  grouping,  group  sequence,  group  mo- 
tive, central  idea,  denotation  and  connotation  are  put 
in  practice.  At  the  end  of  this  course,  the  student  is 
ready  to  begin  his  intensive  training  for  the  stage,  or 
the  platform,  or  for  practical  public  speaking  in  legal, 
political  or  business  life.  A  good  course  in  original 
speech  making  should  be  offered  parallel  to  dramatic 
work  in  order  that  the  student  may  acquire  a  freedom 
and  confidence  in  his  own  power  of  spontaneous  ex- 
pression. So  many  actors  and  public  readers  are 
slaves  to  mcniorizLnl  lines  and  are  utterly  lost  before 
an  audience  if  the  memory  fails.  Training  in  extem- 
pore and  impromptu  speech  makes  the  speaker  inde- 
pendent, not  only  in  cases  where  the  memory  fails 
but  in  conversation  and  on  occasions  when  sponta- 
neous speech  is  called  for. 


176         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

In  all  the  subsequent  discussion,  it  is  assumed  that 
all  preliminary  work  has  been  done  and  the  student  is 
ready  for  his  professional  training. 

The  Development  of  the  Art  of  Pure  Reading. — 
Just  as  the  child  develops  from  a  physical  being 
through  regular  stages  to  a  reasoning  individual,  so 
the  beginner  in  conscious  expression  develops  from 
literal  acting  (physical  expression)  to  suggestion 
(imaginative  thought  and  emotion  plus  reason)  in 
pure  reading.  As  there  can  be  no  thought  before 
there  has  been  bodily  sensations  and  emotions,  so 
there  can  be  no  suggestion  until  there  has  been  an 
experience,  directly  or  indirectly,  of  the  thing  to  be 
suggested.  It  is  upon  this  principle  that  the  student 
is  to  build  his  power  of  suggesting  scenes,  events, 
moods  and  actions  to  his  audiences. 

Acting  is  considered  the  first  step  in  this  develop- 
ment because  it  requires  imitation  of  complete  move- 
ments and  realistic  representation  of  essential  things. 
It  is  the  easiest  and  most  natural  form  of  public  ex- 
pression and  it  makes  use  of  the  same  instincts  that 
govern  the  early  acts  of  childhood.  The  student 
handles  actual  articles  of  furniture  and  real  objects, 
and  he  converses  with  real  people  just  as  in  life. 
Being  with  others  on  the  stage,  he  is  less  conscious  of 
himself  for  he  realizes  that  the  attention  of  the 
audience  is  not  centered  wholly  upon  him.  He  acts 
as  he  has  seen  others  act  under  similar  circumstances 
or  he  imitates  the  director.  In  any  event  his  work 
is  mostly  imitative.  He  is  as  a  child.  He  is  dressed 
up  and  plays  he  is  some  one  else  doing  something  he 


STUDY  177 

has  seen  some  one  else  do.  He  is  unlike  a  child  in 
that  his  reason  helps  him  store  up  the  muscular  and 
vocal  impressions  for  use  in  subsequent  conscious  ex- 
pression. His  complete  movements  and  bodily  ges- 
tures g-ivc  him  the  experiences  which  his  imagery  and 
reason  will  later  translate  into  suggestive  movements 
and  gestures. 

Personating  is  the  second  step  toward  the  purely 
suggestive  art  for  it  introduces  one  element  of  imag- 
ination through  suggestion  and  correspondingly  elim- 
inates the  realistic  element  of  environment,  or  cos- 
tume, stage  furniture,  scenery,  etc.  Having  become 
accustomed  to  the  real  surroundings  and  the  handling 
of  real  objects  while  in  dialogue,  the  student  finds  it 
easy,  in  personating,  to  imagine  the  surroundings  and 
to  pantomime  the  handling  of  objects  so  that  the  au- 
dience may  easily  imagine  their  presence.  The  action 
is  still  complete,  (or  literal,  as  we  term  it)  but  it  is 
in  relation  to  imaginary  instead  of  to  real  objects. 
The  student  has  advanced  a  step  toward  the  art  of 
suggestion  but  his  work  is  still  largely  realistic. 

When  the  student  has  advanced  to  Impersonative 
Reading,  he  has  taken  a  long  step  toward  suggestion 
which  leaves  realism  far  in  the  background.  Not 
only  is  environment  eliminated,  but  literal  action  is 
abandoned  and  the  audience  imagines  the  scene  en- 
tirely apart  from  the  reader  himself.  The  only  real- 
istic effect  retained  at  all  is  the  vocal  and  facial  char- 
acterization of  eccentric  or  comedy  characters.  All 
other  action  has  become  suggestive.  The  only  excuse 
for  keeping  literalness  in  voice  and  facial  expression 


178         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

lies  in  the  fact  that  broad  comedy  and  eccentricity 
are  much  more  difficult  to  imagine  than  ordinary 
liuman  moods,  and  an  audience  deprived  of  this  realis- 
tic appeal  Vvould  lose  half  the  conception  of  the  eccen- 
tricities. Human  characteristics  that  are  eccentric 
are,  of  course,  comparatively  infrequent  and  the  aver- 
ag"e  audience  is  not  intimately  acquainted  with  them. 
Wlien  reproduced  literally  in  voice  and  feature,  the 
eccentricity  is  at  once  understood  and  the  imagina- 
tion of  the  audience  left  free  to  accept  the  larger  sug- 
gestions of  environment  and  action. 

In  Pure  Reading  the  student  reaches  his  highest 
pinnacle  of  artistic  achievement.  Having  accustomed 
his  motor  imagery  to  respond  in  literal  imitation  of 
complete  movements,  and  his  auditory  memory  to  re- 
spond in  imitation  of  different  vocal  characteristics, 
he  is  now  ready  to  depend  upon  an  acquired  instinct 
to  suggest  action  and  to  respond  in  involuntary  vocal 
change  to  the  changing  moods.  The  experience  in 
complete  action  and  literal  characterization  in  acting 
and  personating  has  accustomed  the  student  to  the 
feel  of  different  points  of  view.  His  motor  memory 
instantly  recalls  the  sensation  of  the  former  complete 
movements  and  he  is  now  better  able  to  choose  gen- 
eral essentials  from  the  mass  of  details  for  suggestive 
presentation  than  if  he  had  attempted  suggestion 
before  having  the  literal  experiences. 

The  Law  of  Suggestive  Action. — The  suggestion 
of  a  movement  may  be  made  in  either  of  two  ways : 
by  halting  the  motion  midway  between  the  initial  im- 
pulse and  the  accent  of  the  completed  movement,  or 


STUDY  179 

by  making  the  accent  upon  the  initial  motion  itself. 
In  long,  stately,  sweeping  gestures,  the  suggestion 
would  require  the  accent  to  come  a  little  later  than 
the  initial  motion,  while  in  ordinary  gestures,  the 
mere  accenting  of  the  initial  impulse  will  be  enough. 
Sometimes,  for  example,  the  slightest  lifting  of  the 
hand  and  the  sudden  spreading  of  the  fingers  will 
suggest  the  complete  action  of  leaping  or  running,  as 
in  King  Robert  of  Sicily  when  the  old  sexton  had 
opened  the  great  church  door,  and 

...  "a  man  rushed  by  him  at  a  single  stride 
Haggard,  half  naked,   without  hat  or  cloak 
Who,  neither  turned  or  looked  at  him  or  spoke, 
But  leaped  into  the  blackness  of  the  night 
And  vanished  like  a  specter  from  his  sight" 

the  sympathetic  reader  will  follow  w^ith  bodily  attitude 
and  suggestive  gesture  the  rushing  king  and  as  he 
says  "leaped,"  his  fingers  will  unconsciously  spread 
as  the  accent  becomes  necessary.  It  will  be  seen  that 
such  suggestive  motions  are  impossible  to  work  out 
except  through  actual  conscious  experience  in  the 
complete  movements.  One  who  has  not  thus  developed 
his  kinesthetic  imagery  can  never  hope  to  give  reliable 
suggestion  to  his  work.  There  can,  of  course,  be 
first-hand  imitation  of  an  instructor  in  suggestive 
gesture,  but  to  an  observing  eye  such  gestures  always 
lack  significance  and  are  either  over  graceful  and 
"studied,"  or  arc  awkward  and  inadequate.  When 
motor  imagery  is  awakened  and  the  memory  of  a 
muscular  impulse   is   aroused,  the  reader  has   for  an 


i8o         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

instant  the  intention  of  reproducing  the  complete 
movement.  As  the  intention  is  formed  the  gesture 
begins,  but  the  zvill  halts  it  and  allows  the  voice  and 
the  descriptive  material  to  complete  the  movement 
solely  in  the  imagination  of  the  hearers.  The  develop- 
ment of  more  imagery  not  only  makes  possible  imita- 
tive action  of  the  body  as  a  whole,  but  assisted  by  a 
corresponding  development  of  auditory  imagery, 
makes  possible  vocal  imitation.  Hearing  a  sound  the 
imitator  translates  into  motor  imagery  of  the  vocal 
chords  and  of  the  muscles  controlling  the  various  res- 
onant chambers,  an  adjustment  which  reproduces  the 
sound.  Suggestive  action,  therefore,  depends  upon  a 
thorough  understanding  and  practice  of  literal  action. 
The  Lav7  of  Vocal  Changes. — Involuntary,  or  un- 
conscious vocal  change  comes  from  the  natural  ex- 
pression of  moods  in  daily  life  and  form  the 
unconscious  imitation  in  childhood  of  different 
sounds.  Later,  as  soon  as  the  student  has  learned  to 
overcome  shyness  and  self-consciousness  before  an 
audience,  he  will  publicly  express  moods  in  vocal 
change  as  unconsciously  as  in  childhood.  No  atten- 
tion to  the  mechanics  of  these  changes  is  necessary 
until  after  the  student  has  had  considerable  experience 
in  the  involuntary  changes  of  voice.  Voluntary 
changes  grow  out  of  imitation  and  the  knowledge  of 
speech  mechanics.  When  both  auditory  and  motor 
imagery  are  well  developed,  imitation  of  sounds  is 
comparatively  easy.  In  acting  the  student  has  de- 
veloped his  motor  imagery  to  such  a  degree  that  he 
finds  it  easy  to  assume  the  gait,  gesture  and  facial 


STUDY  i8i 

expression  of  the  character  he  represents.  Gradually 
he  will  grow  so  used  to  assuming  the  character's 
action  that  it  becomes  almost  a  second  nature  for  him 
to  acquire  the  peculiar  tone  quality  of  age  or  of  any 
eccentric  character.  A  knowledge  of  speech  mechanics 
will  aid  in  imitating  the  dialect,  provincial  speech, 
speech  defects  and  other  peculiarities.  The  best  time 
for  practice  in  voluntary  vocal  change  is  in  imper- 
sonative  reading  w4iere  eccentric  characterization  is 
the  primary  essential.  Here  the  student  has  oppor- 
tunity for  conscious  imitation  of  vocal  peculiarities, 
l^nderlying  all  voluntary  changes  are  always  the  in- 
voluntary changes  due  to  shifting  moods  and  varying 
motives  of  thought,  so  at  no  time  in  presentation  can 
an  actor  or  reader  be  without  involuntary  changes. 


CHAPTER  XIII 


SUGGESTIONS    FOR    STUDY 


In  the  Play  with  Others. — At  the  very  beginning 
of  public  work  the  student  is  sure  to  be  nervous  and 
painfully  self-conscious.  It  is  for  that  reason  he 
should  be  given  something  to  do  which  will  enable 
him  to  forget  himself  as  much  as  possible  and  will 
give  him  assurance  that  the  audience  is  not  contin- 
ually watching  him.  Putting  him  in  the  play  with 
his  classmates  and  letting  him  keep  busy  with  little, 
natural  actions  while  carrying  on  a  normal  dialogue 
is  the  best  possible  way  to  get  him  accustomed  to  an 
audience.  Here  he  is  surrounded  by  the  scene,  actual 
properties,  furniture,  etc.,  and  must  put  his  whole 
attention  to  details  of  action  with  the  properties,  etc. 
He  does  not  look  at  the  audience,  in  fact  he  is  told 
to  ignore  it  utterly.  Pie  is  to  talk  and  act  as  if  ignor- 
ant of  the  existence  of  an  audience  and  thus  half 
the  cause  for  fear  is  taken  away,  for  the  looking  at 
an  audience  and  being  always  obliged  to  face  it  are 
two  most  disconcerting  factors  in  appearing  before 
the  public.  The  actor  may  at  times  turn  his  back 
completely  on  the  audience  and  while  others  are 
occupying  the  attention,  he  rests  assured  that  he  is 
not  being  criticized.  Gradually  all  nervousness  wears 
away  and  he  does  not  mind  being  alone  on  the  stage 
182 


STUDY  183 

in  a  soliloquy.  It  is  not  wise  to  give  an  eccentric 
character  part  to  the  timid  student.  Normal  charac- 
ters in  simple  comedy  afford  the  best  material  for  the 
first  work  in  acting.  No  dialects  should  be  attempted 
for  the  student  is  not  yet  accustomed  to  relying  on 
his  motive  and  auditory  imagery  to  such  a  degree 
that  he  will  make  a  good  imitation  and  reproduce  the 
mood  and  atmosphere  peculiar  to  the  dialect.  The 
student  should  first  be  taught  to  handle  himself  well 
on  the  stage.  Then  he  may  be  put  in  a  sketch  where 
he  is  taught  to  handle  others — to  assist  to  a  chair,  to 
lift  another  person,  to  carry  one,  to  embrace,  to  strug- 
gle (in  wrestling  or  fighting)  to  fence,  box,  etc.  In  the 
play  with  others  the  student  gains  experience  in  all  the 
technique  of  bearing,  including  poise  and  carriage. 
Every  set  of  muscles  is  brought  into  play,  and  the 
kinesthetic  sense  developed  to  a  marvelous  degree. 
He  learns  how  to  handle  a  sword,  a  rifle,  a  newspaper, 
a  letter ;  how  to  conduct  himself  at  a  table ;  how  to  do 
a  thousand  little  things  concerning  which  in  actual  life 
he  might  never  take  conscious  thought  for  personal 
improvement.  Here  in  the  play  he  is  made  to  observe 
closely  the  right  and  the  wrong  way  of  doing  things. 
All  this  training  can  not  fail  to  affect  his  bearing 
favorably  so  that  when  he  begins  to  appear  alone 
before  audiences  and  the  attention  is  centered  at  all 
times  upon  him,  he  will  have  confidence  in  himself 
and  will  not  be  subjected  to  the  criticism  that  most 
readers  bring  upon  themselves. 

Acfino;  in  the  play  with  others,  then,  is  the  first 
step  in  training  for  public  appearance  whether  upon 
the  stage  or  upon  the  platform. 


i84  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

In  the  Soliloquy  Alone. — Acting  in  the  Soliloquy 
offers  the  first  opportunity  for  the  student  to  be  alone 
on  the  stage  and  the  center  of  uninterrupted  attention 
on  the  part  of  the  audience.  He  is  still  among  reaHs- 
tic  surroundings  and  is  busy  with  minute  action,  but 
he  has  taken  a  short  step  toward  suggestion  in  that 
his  bearing  must  be  tempered  by  a  certain  abstract- 
ness  which  is  apparent  when  one  is  meditating.  He 
must  suggest  meditation  while  in  reality  he  is  speak- 
ing aloud  for  the  benefit  of  the  audience.  His  moods 
are  expressed  with  less  reserve  while  in  meditation 
than  while  conversing  with  others.  All  his  action  may 
be  the  same  as  it  would  be  in  the  scene  with  others, 
but  instead  of  completely  ignoring  his  audience,  he 
talks  not  to  them  but  as  though  they  were  a  part  of 
his  own  mind  conversing  with  itself.  His  eyes  do 
not  look  at  any  one  in  the  audience  but  stray  absently 
out  over  the  audience  or  are  fixed  unseeing  on  various 
objects  in  the  scene.  The  constant  attention  of  the 
audience  helps  bring  the  student  into  closer  harmony 
with  them,  and,  since  in  the  play  he  has  already  over- 
come his  nervousness,  this  new  relationship  to  the 
audience  does  not  disturb  him  in  the  least.  The 
Soliloquy  which  is  to  be  acted  may  be  an  excerpt  from 
a  play,  or  a  soliloquy  written  expressly  as  a  complete 
selection  to  be  acted.  It  should  be  a  normal  character 
who  speaks.  Dialect  or  provincial  speech  should  not 
yet  be  attempted.  One  of  the  best  Acting  Soliloquies 
for  the  student  to  take  up  at  this  time  is  Leland  T. 
Powers'  Pro  and  Con.  Here  there  is  opportunity  for 
splendid   expression  of  various   moods   while   gazing 


STUDY  185 

abstractedly  out  into  the  audience — the  young  man's 
action  with  the  gloves  and  the  letter  being  seemingly 
unconscious. 

After  the  Acting  Soliloquy,  the  student  is  ready  to 
drop  the  realistic  surroundings  and  leave  them  to 
the  imagination  of  his  audience,  while  he  is  concerned 
with  action  during  meditation. 

The  Soliloquy  for  Personating. — In  taking  up  the 
work  of  personating,  the  student  has  stepped  from  the 
realm  of  the  actor  to  that  of  the  reader.  Wherever 
he  may  entertain,  special  surroundings  and  stage 
accessories  are  unnecessary.  The  soliloquy  which 
requires  plenty  of  action  but  no  properties  or  scene 
may  be  considered  the  ''common  ground"  between  the 
actor  and  the  reader  as  far  as  the  action  itself  is  con- 
cerned. Great  attention  is  paid  to  every  accompany- 
ing mood  (although  the  reader,  of  course,  must  not 
appear  conscious  of  his  movements)  while  meditating. 
The  bearing  of  the  reader  in  personating  is  the  same 
as  that  of  the  actor,  except  that  the  reader  will  never 
allow  himself  to  recline  or  turn  his  back  completely 
on  the  audience.  In  pantomime,  every  motion  is 
literal  and  his  objective  gesture  must  be  accurate. 
When  imaginary  objects  are  handled  the  fingers  and 
hands  must  correspond  to  the  shape  of  the  object,  as 
for  instance,  in  picking  up  an  imaginary  lighted 
candle,  the  speaker  must  see  exactly  the  kind  of  can- 
dlestick he  is  holding  and  must  know  how  his  fingers 
would  close  around  it.  If  it  is  the  old-fashioned  kind 
with  a  little  ring-like  handle,  his  fingers  will  hold  a 
different    position    and    his    eyes    will    look    for    the 


i86         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

flame  at  a  different  point  above  his  hand.  The  only 
sure  way  of  determining  the  correct  position  is  to  hold 
a  real  lighted  candle  for  a  moment  and  practise  ob- 
serving the  position  and  the  feel  of  the  candlestick 
in  the  fingers.  Then  after  removing  the  candle  the 
fingers  should  take  the  same  position  while  the  eyes 
focus  at  the  point  where  the  real  flame  was.  The 
real  candle  in  practice  a  few  times  will  correct  errors 
in  pantomime  due  to  imperfect  kinesthetic  and  visual 
memory.  In  the  final  delivery  of  a  personated  solilo- 
quy, the  exact  pantomime,  of  course,  is  not  absolutely 
essential,  but  for  practice  and  the  development  of  the 
kinesthetic  sense,  the  student  should  endeavor  to  be 
exact.  Another  matter  which  must  be  kept  in  mind  is 
the  returning  of  the  imagined  object  to  its  resting 
place  before  taking  up  another  object.  Since  literal 
action  means  completed  action,  and  since  action  must 
be  complete  in  order  to  be  realistic  rather  than  sug- 
gestive, it  is  necessary  to  carry  out  every  objective 
gesture  to  its  close.  If  the  candle  is  to  be  carried 
across  the  platform  and  deposited  on  an  imaginary 
stand  before  a  mirror  while  the  speaker  combs  her 
hair  in  pantomime,  the  movement  of  picking  up  the 
brush  and  comb  should  not  be  made  until  the  candle 
has  been  put  down.  If  the  student  has  properly  vis- 
ualized the  candle  and  feels  it  in  her  hand  she  will 
not  forget,  but  if  her  action  is  mechanical  she  is  liable 
to  drop  the  candle  in  mid  air  in  order  to  scratch  her 
nose  and  then — presto! — the  candle  is  back  in  her 
hand  again.  When  she  reaches  her  imaginary  mirror, 
she  picks  up  the  comb  and  the  candle  is  again  forgot- 


STUDY  187 

ten.  The  teacher  must  watch  carefully  these  appar- 
ently trivial  details  and  help  the  student  to  keep 
consistent. 

By  the  time  the  student  has  had  systematic  train- 
ing in  acting,  both  in  the  play  and  in  the  soliloquy, 
his  kinesthetic  imagery  has  developed  so  that  it  will 
begin  to  transfer  auditory  as  well  as  visual  impressions 
into  a  conscious  imitative  adjustment  of  the  vocal 
cords  and  it  is  now  comparatively  easy  to  imitate  an 
eccentric  voice  quality  or  the  variations  of  pitch,  force 
and  time.  He  should  not,  however,  depart  just  yet 
from  the  portrayal  of  normal  characters  in  action. 

The  Monologue  for  Personating. — What  has  been 
said  regarding  the  study  of  the  soliloquy  for  personat- 
ing applies  the  same  way  as  far  as  the  literal  pan- 
tomime is  concerned.  There  is  in  the  monologue, 
however,  an  added  appeal  to  the  imagination  in  that 
the  audience  is  required  to  imagine  other  characters 
in  the  scene.  The  subjective  action  of  the  reader  here 
reflects  the  presence  of  the  others,  and  his  conversa- 
tion has  definite  direction  instead  of  the  abstraction 
in  meditation.  The  eyes  travel  frequently  to  the  spot 
where  the  other  participants  in  the  conversation  are 
supposed  to  be.  The  pauses  are  accompanied  by  a 
listening  attitude  and  a  corresponding  facial  expres- 
sion showing  response  to  the  thought  of  the  supposed 
speaker.  The  walking  about  is  arranged  so  that  the 
audience  can  see  the  reader's  face  at  all  times  and 
every  action  is  literally  carried  out  except  reclining. 
The  other  characters  may  be  imagined  to  walk  about 
through   the   simple   trick   on  the   part   of  the    reader 


i88         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

who  follows  with  his  eyes  the  supposed  movements 
of  the  imaginary  characters.  The  monologue  is  dis- 
tinctly an  advance  toward  suggestive  art  although  its 
action  is  still  realistic.  The  practice  of  the  student 
at  this  point  should  enable  him  to  attempt  eccentricities 
of  character  in  voluntary  vocal  change  of  quality, 
force,  pitch  and  time,  but  he  should  not  yet  try  defec- 
tive speech,  provincial  speech  or  dialect. 

Eccentric  Address  for  Personating. — In  the  Ec- 
centric Address,  the  student  for  the  first  time  directly 
addresses  his  audience,  not  in  his  own  person  but  in 
the  character  he  represents.  He  assumes  his  real 
audience  to  be  a  part  of  the  scene  and  himself  to  be 
an  eccentric  person  whose  style  of  oratory  is  ridicu- 
lous and  overdone.  The  student  feeling  himself  in 
comedy  character  free  to  overdo  or  to  burlesque  speak- 
ing, is  not  afraid  of  criticism  and  therefore  can  face 
the  audience  without  self-consciousness.  In  the  pre- 
ceding steps  the  student  has  been  gradually  getting 
used  to  an  audience  and  now,  especially  since  he  is  not 
in  serious  mood,  he  will  not  feel  embarrassment  at 
directly  addressing  his  audience.  He  Avill  literally 
assume  the  character  of  an  orator  and  will  walk 
about,  shout,  wave  his  arms  and  overdo  the  delivery 
in  whatever  way  the  selection  suggests.  There  may 
be  no  occasion  for  more  than  vocal  and  facial  char- 
acterization, but  since  the  circumstances  of  comedy 
oratory  do  not  limit  the  action  of  the  speaker,  this 
type  of  selection  is  classed  for  the  art  of  personating 
rather  than  for  impersonative  reading.  There  is  very 
little  opportunity  for  literal  objective  pantomime,  but 


STUDY  189 

facial  expression  together  with  indicative  and  subjec- 
tive gesture  as  well  as  the  bearing  of  the  speaker  may 
be  literal.  By  this  time  the  student  is  quite  ready  to 
assume  voluntary  peculiarities  of  speech  and  even 
dialects.  This  type  of  selection  is  not  good  for  the 
student  who  is  naturally  prone  to  overdo  his  action, 
but  it  is  excellent  practice  for  the  individual  who  is 
concentric  and  rather  negative  in  disposition. 

The  Character  Series  for  Personating. — The  Char- 
acter Series  has  been  called  the  "common  ground" 
for  treatment  by  personating  or  impersonative  reading 
because  it  may  exploit  eccentric  characters  in  literal 
action  throughout,  or  it  may  be  confined  to  literalness 
in  voice  and  facial  expression  only.  Its  value  in  the 
sequence  of  study  lies  first  in  the  practice  of  a  variety 
of  eccentric  characterizations  embodied  in  one  selec- 
tion, and  second,  in  the  now  serious  moments  of  the 
direct  address  to  the  audience.  The  teacher  must 
make  clear  that  the  Character  Series  is  not  a  reading 
in  which  characters  converse  with  one  another,  but 
is  merely  a  number  of  uninterrupted  speeches  or 
stories  told  formally  or  informally  by  several  eccen- 
tric speakers  to  a  supposed  audience  of  two  or  more. 
The  descriptive  matter  between  speeches  is  given  by 
the  reader  in  his  own  person  and  to  the  real  audience. 
This  is  the  first  finie  during  his  sequence  of  study  that 
the  student  becomes  HIMSELF  during  the  rendition 
of  a  selection  and  talks  directly  to  Jiis  audience.  It  is 
also  the  first  time  he  assumes  directly  more  than  one 
character  within  a  selection.  There  is  here  no  need 
for  sudden  change  from  one  character  to  another,  for 


igo         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

it  is  not  conversation.  The  stories  or  speeches  are  not 
important  in  themselves.  It  was  the  author's  intention 
to  have  a  series  of  pecuHar  characters  portrayed  and 
what  they  say  is  incidental.  Here  the  student  gains 
facility  in  becoming  completely  in  voice  as  well  as  in 
action  several  different  comedy  characters  in  succes- 
sion. The  fact  that  he  is  not  required  to  make  sudden 
changes  back  and  forth  enables  him  to  go  completely 
into  the  bodily  action  if  he  so  desires.  If  the  student 
is  inclined  to  overdo  his  action,  the  teacher  should 
require  him  to  present  this  type  of  selection  through 
impersonative  reading.  If  he  still  needs  practice  in 
literal  action,  he  should  be  required  to  walk  about 
and  do  all  that  is  needed  for  personating. 

The  Character  Soliloquy  and  the  Character  Mon- 
ologue for  Impersonative  Reading. — In  this  step  the 
reader  strives  to  perfect  single  characterizations  in 
voice  and  facial  expressions,  paying  no  attention 
whatever  to  other  literal  action.  Great  attention  is 
paid  to  the  voluntary  assumption  of  a  vocal  peculiarity 
and  a  corresponding  peculiarity  in  facial  expression 
involving  fixed  features  or  recurring  mannerism.  The 
Character  Soliloquy  applies  the  meditative  mood  to 
an  eccentric  character,  and  the  Character  ^lonologue 
directs  the  attention  to  a  supposed  listener,  but  the 
listener  instead  of  being  imagined  with  him  upon  the 
platform  is  indicated  in  front  and  a  little  to  one  side. 
The  effect  upon  the  audience  is  to  picture  the  whole 
situation  apart  from  the  real  platform  and  among 
any  surroundings  conceived  at  will  by  the  imagination 
of  the  audience.     Here  is  an  opportunity  for  further 


STUDY  191 

practice  in  dialect  and  provincial  characterizations  in 
order  to  perfect  the  student's  conception  of  atmos^ 
phere  and  his  adaptability  to  the  peculiarities  of 
speech  mechanics.  By  the  time  he  has  worked  out 
several  characterizations  painstakingly,  the  student  is 
ready  to  take  the  next  step  toward  suggestiveness  in 
reading. 

The  Character  Play  for  Impersonative  Reading. — 
The  teacher  in  asking  the  student  to  prepare  a  scene 
from  a  Character  Play  should  first  see  that  the  stage 
directions  are  properly  arranged  in  descriptive  form 
so  that  the  pure  dialogue  of  the  play  becomes  like  the 
descriptive  dialogue  of  a  narrative  except  that  it  is  all 
kept  in  the  present  tense.  The  descriptive  passages 
are  given  to  the  audience  in  direct  address,  and  the 
conversations  require  abrupt  change  from  character 
to  character.  All  action  except  facial  expression  is 
suggestive  and  carriage  is  not  considered,  for  the 
reader  stands  quietly  in  the  center  of  the  platform, 
never  taking  more  than  one  step  in  any  direction. 
Since  it  has  become  easy  for  the  student  to  make 
voluntary  changes  in  voice,  and  to  assume  feature 
characterizations,  he  is  now  called  upon  to  make 
these  changes  suddenly  and  as  suddenly  return  to 
his  own  person  in  direct  address  and  description.  He 
is  thoroughly  accustomed  to  his  audience  now  and  is 
never  self-conscious.  He  can  drop  a  character  in- 
stantly and  talk  conversationally  to  his  audience,  or 
he  can  suggest  pictures  and  scenes  by  a  mere  sug- 
gestive movement  of  the  hand  accompanying  a  word 
of  description.     His  art  has  become  highly  suggestive. 


192         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

The  Character  Narrative  for  Impersonative  Read- 
ing.— The  Character  Narrative  offers  a  Httle  more 
opportunity  for  pure  narration  and  description  inter- 
spersed among  the  conversations,  and  the  student  is 
more  frequently  himself  before  his  audience  than  in 
the  Character  Play.  The  Narration  is  written  in  the 
past  tense,  so  the  reader  is  more  in  the  position  of 
story-teller  than  in  direct  address  as  in  the  play.  All 
that  has  been  said  relative  to  the  presentation,  how- 
ever, applies  the  same  in  the  Character  Narrative  as 
in  the  Character  Play.  The  chief  characters  are  ec- 
centric and  require  more  realistic  attention  than  nor- 
mal characters,  but  even  those  when  supposed  to 
carry  on  action  are  only  represented  in  suggestive 
action.  The  reader  must  remember  that  he  can  not 
walk  about  or  use  a  chair  in  any  kind  of  selection  that 
requires  sudden  transition  from  character  to  character 
or  to  description.  When  the  reader  drops  into  a  de- 
scriptive passage  he  should  look  directly  at  his  au- 
dience from  time  to  time  and  picture  his  scene  not 
with  him  upon  the  platform,  but  out  beyond  the 
audience  and  back  of  it.  The  audience  then  sees  the 
entire  scene  imaginatively  and  undisturbed  by  any 
limitations  of  the  platform  itself. 

Interpretative  Readings  Including  Sub-forms  for 
Pure  Reading. — When  the  student  enters  upon  pure 
reading  he  abandons  all  effort  at  realism  and  becomes 
wholly  suggestive  in  mood  and  description.  His  vocal 
changes  are  involuntary  and  are  the  result  of  change 
in  mood.  Characters  in  conversation  are  distinguished 
either  by  their  characteristic  mood,   or  by   mere  ex- 


STUDY  193 

planation  on  the  part  of  the  reader.  No  attempt  at 
Hteral  characterization  is  made  at  any  point.  The 
student  should  study  the  best  literature  in  the  order 
of  the  Reading  Soliloquy,  The  Reading  Monologue, 
The  Reading  Play,  The  Descriptive  Reading,  The 
Narrative  Reading,  and  The  Lyric  Reading.  The 
Declamation,  or  serious  speech,  may  be  given  as  an 
Interpretative  Reading  with  a  good  deal  of  profit  to 
the  student,  especially  if  he  wishes  to  develop  practical 
public  speaking.  Study  of  the  declamation  first, 
however,  before  he  has  had  dramatic  training  or  at 
least  training  in  extempore  oratory,  often  makes  the 
student  stiff  and  mechanical.  Declamation  on  the 
whole  is  not  practical,  but  may  become  worth  while 
if  taken  up  after  a  thorough  course  leading  to  Pure 
Reading. 

After  the  student  has  had  systematic  practice  in 
selections  in  the  order  just  explained,  he  is  ready  to 
present  any  kind  of  literature  in  a  creditable  manner 
for  public  approval. 

Hovy^  to  Work  Out  any  Selection  for  Public  Pre- 
sentation.— From  the  foregoing  explanation  of  the 
way  in  which  suggestive  action  develops  from  literal 
action,  it  follows  that  any  selection  to  be  given  sug- 
gestively through  pure  reading  can  be  rehearsed 
realistically  with  great  profit  to  the  reader.  All  the 
suggestive  action  can  be  made  more  surely  suggestive 
to  the  imaginations  of  the  audience,  if  the  reader  has 
freshened  his  kinesthetic  imagery  by  realistic  and 
complete  action  in  practice.  In  preparing  Thomas 
Bailev  Aldrich's  In  an  Atelier  the  reader  will  do  well 


194  DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

to  pantomime  carefully  and  literally  all  the  move- 
ments of  the  painter,  as  he  paints,  scrutinizes  his 
model,  measures  distances,  and  mixes  colors.  He 
should  visualize  the  canvas  on  the  easel,  the  palette 
with  its  different  colors,  the  brushes,  and  the  girl  in 
her  queen's  costume  sitting  as  his  model.  In  carrying 
on  the  implied  dialogue  he  glances  from  time  to  time 
to  her  and  back  to  his  work.  Later  he  gradually 
loses  interest  in  the  work  and  centers  his  attention 
upon  the  girl.  At  last  he  puts  his  brushes  away  and 
devotes  his  whole  attention  to  her.  Going  over  the 
selection  a  few  times  as  a  personated  monologue,  mak- 
ing action  the  most  important  feature,  gives  the  stu- 
dent the  exact  atmosphere  of  the  situation  and  enables 
him  to  feel  in  his  muscles  the  little  movements  that 
realistically  accompany  his  lines.  Later  he  will  put 
more  attention  to  the  mood  and  will  merely  show  the 
various  impulses  of  movement  which  will  be  manifest 
in  the  initial  motions  and  accents  suggestive  of  the 
whole  situation.  The  selection  is  readily  classified  as 
a  reading  monologue,  with  mood  alone  essential  so 
that  in  presenting  the  selection  publicly  the  reader 
knows  it  requires  only  suggestive  action  and  involun- 
tary vocal  changes. 

There  are  many  selections  obviously  suitable  for 
pure  reading  only,  but  they  need  practice  in  literal 
action  in  order  that  the  resulting  suggestive  action 
may  be  more  powerful.  Sometimes  it  is  even  wise 
to  go  back  to  acting  in  order  to  get  the  situation  and 
atmosphere  more  thoroughly  in  mind.  In  presenting 
The  Soul  of  the  Violin,  it  is  often  necessary  in  prac- 


STUDY  195 

tice  to  have  the  student  handle  a  real  violin  a  few 
times  in  order  that  his  body  may  realize  the  feel  of  it 
and  the  different  impulses  for  movement  that  are  to 
be  suggested.  Of  course,  for  public  presentation  the 
selection  should  not  be  personated,  for  it  is  a  Narra- 
tive Reading,  demanding  only  the  expression  of  a 
wonderful  mood  which  can  be  powerfully  suggested, 
if  the  reader  has  tried  to  practise  realistically  the 
action  of  the  old  man  in  the  situation. 

In  preparing  monologues  for  personating,  it  is  fre- 
quently necessary  to  use  the  actual  properties  for  a 
time  in  order  to  get  the  objective  pantomime  consist- 
ent with  the  form  of  the  objects  to  be  suggested.  In 
order  that  the  student  may  pantomime  reading  a  letter 
and  turning  a  page,  he  may  first  use  a  real  letter  and 
note  carefully  just  what  he  does  with  his  hands  and 
where  his  eyes  focus.  Later  the  pantomime  will  be 
so  literal  that  the  audience  will  easily  Imagine  the 
presence  of  the  letter. 


CHAPTER  XIV 


CHOICE  OF  SELECTION 


The  Student's  Difficulty. — One  of  the  great  trials 
in  the  course  of  study  is  the  finding  of  selections  suit- 
able for  public  presentation.  The  teacher  who  makes 
a  practice  of  picking  out  the  selections  for  his  pupils, 
is  depriving  the  student  of  a  valuable  bit  of  training, 
and  is  at  the  same  time  unnecessarily  burdening  him- 
self. The  student  should  be  taught  to  select  his  own 
material  right  from  the  beginning.  It  is  a  mistake 
for  him  to  start  out  depending  upon  his  teacher  and 
it  is  a  bigger  mistake  for  the  teacher  to  encourage  this 
dependence.  The  teacher  should  stand  ready  to  sug- 
gest and  give  general  instructions  as  to  what  type 
of  selections  will  be  best  at  different  stages  in  the 
student's  development ;  he  should  see  to  it  that  all 
selections  chosen  are  not  beyond  the  student's  grasp, 
and  are  in  good  taste,  for  good  taste  is  a  quality  often 
lacking  in  the  average  beginner;  he  should  be  ready 
to  assist  in  abridging,  or  cutting  selections  to  be  given, 
but  he  should  make  the  student  do  most  of  the  work 
himself;  and  finally  he  should  insist  that  the  student 
take  time  and  care  in  making  his  choice.  So  many 
students  get  discouraged  after  reading  half  an  hour 
in  the  library  and  so  take  up  the  selection  that  looks 
as  if  it  "might  do."    Then  after  working  on  a  selec- 

196 


STUDY  197 

tion,  more  often  than  not  ihcy  become  tired  of  it  and 
wish  they  had  selected  something  else.  A  great  deal 
of  time  is  wasted  in  working  out  selections  that  were 
chosen  hastily.  The  teacher  should  impress  upon  his 
pupils  the  importance  of  hard  study  in  choosing 
pieces — to  say  nothing  of  the  work  of  memorizing 
and  preparation  for  delivery.  It  is  safe  to  say  that 
at  least  one-third  of  the  time  to  be  put  on  preparation 
should  be  devoted  to  looking  over  material  for  choice. 
*'\Miat  kind  of  piece  do  I  want?"  is  the  query  that 
overshadows  the  enthusiasm  of  the  beginner  when  he 
is  told  to  go  to  the  library  and  select  the  first  piece 
that  is  to  be  prepared  for  a  public  recital.  If  the 
teacher  has  already  suggested  a  number  of  sources, 
the  student  after  a  hasty  search  is  likely  to  return  dis- 
couraged and  report  that  everything  he  read  was  too 
old  or  else  something  he  didn't  like.  Won't  the 
teacher  please  tell  him  something  to  learn,  and  he'll 
learn  it  whether  he  likes  it  or  not !  Here  is  where  the 
teacher  must  remain  firm.  Good  counsel  may  be 
given  on  how^  to  search  out  material  and  advice  con- 
cerning new  and  old  selections  offered,  but  he  should 
not  yield  to  the  entreaty  and  allow  the  student  to  shift 
such  an  important  responsibility.  A  splendid  incen- 
tive toward  diligent  search  for  suitable  material  is 
the  prospect  of  a  public  recital.  If  the  student  is 
advised  to  choose  his  selections  with  a  view  to  making 
up  an  evening's  program,  he  will  have  a  definite 
purpose  which  will  aid  him  in  determining  the  differ- 
ent types  he  will  neerl  for  variety  and  balance.  Tie 
will  unconsciouslv  bear  in  mind  an  audience  and  as 


198         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

he  is  searching  he  will  choose  what  he  thinks  will 
entertain  it.  He  will  visualize  the  selection  as  he  sees 
in  imagination  its  effect  on  his  hearers. 

New  Selections  or  Old. — Many  students  are  afraid 
to  chose  anything  that  has  been  given  before,  and 
they  waste  hours  and  hours  of  time  in  looking  for 
something  they  have  never  heard  given.  While  it  is 
commendable  to  be  always  on  the  lookout  for  new 
material,  yet  the  old  should  not  be  entirely  neglected. 
An  old  piece  of  literature  may  give  continued  enjoy- 
ment to  an  audience,  just  as  an  old  piece  of  music 
may  be  given  over  and  over  again  with  increasing 
delight.  The  wedding  march  from  Lohengrin,  or 
from  Mendelssohn's  Mid-Siimmer  Night's  Dream  will 
never  grow  old,  and  when  played  by  an  artist  is  always 
enjoyed.  Why  should  not  good  literature  be  given 
over  and  over  again?  The  teacher  should  impress 
upon  the  student  the  value  of  some  of  the  old  read- 
ings. It  is  true  that  there  are  thousands  of  selec- 
tions which  are  no  longer  entertaining  because  they 
have  been  overworked,  but  a  piece  of  real  literature 
can  never  lose  its  power  wdien  presented  by  a  master. 

The  entertainer  must  not,  of  course,  rely  wholly 
on  old  literature,  even  if  it  is  classic.  He  must  be  on 
the  watch  for  new  material  to  present  with  the  old. 
Publishers  of  Choice  Selections,  Best  Readings, 
Speakers,  etc.,  are  constantly  adding  to  their  volumes, 
but  of  course  the  student  must  not  rely  wholly  upon 
these  works.  He  should  learn  to  make  his  own 
cuttings  and  read  constantly  with  a  view^  to  adapta- 
tion for  reading. 


STUDY  199 

Where  to  Find  New  Material. — One  of  the  indis- 
pensable books  for  the  school  Hbrary  is  Granger's 
Guide  to  Recitation  and  Poetry,  pubHshed  by  A.  C. 
^IcChirg  &  Company.  This  book  gives  the  title  of 
all  popular  readings,  monologue,  etc.,  that  have  been 
published  for  public  presentation  up  to  a  very  recent 
date  and  also  gives  the  sources  for  finding  the  selec- 
tions. 

In  searching  for  new  material,  the  student  can  do 
no  better  than  keep  up  a  regular  acquaintance  with 
the  best  magazines  and  story  periodicals,  for  in  these 
lie  gold  mines  of  unadapted  material  needing  only  the 
sifting  and  washing  process  to  prepare  it  for  the  eager 
market.  The  student  must  learn  to  recognize  suitable 
selections  and  to  know  how  to  abridge  and  adapt  them 
for  the  platform.  Not  only  are  the  current  magazines 
a  fruitful  field  for  research,  but  modern  books  and 
plays  offer  chapters  and  scenes  that  may  be  quite  as 
entertaining  as  the  short  story. 

How  to  Recognize  Good  Material  for  Adaptation. 
— The  task  of  finding  new  and  original  material  for 
public  reading  would  seem  unjustly  burdensome  if 
It  were  necessary  for  the  student  to  read  thoroughly 
everything  he  sees  in  order  to  determine  its  fitness. 
An  Immense  amount  of  material  may  be  glanced  over, 
but  only  that  which  passes  the  first  test  of  hasty  in- 
spection should  be  laid  aside  for  careful  reading. 
There  may  be  three  stages  of  Inspection  which  will 
aid  the  student  In  narrowing  down  his  material.  The 
first  stage  is  merely  glancing  through  the  pages  of  a 
magazine,  reading  the  title  and  noticing  whether  there 


200         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

seems  to  be  plenty  of  conversation.  If  the  page  pre- 
sents too  many  ''solid"  paragraphs,  the  article  may  be 
discarded  at  once,  unless  the  student  is  looking  for 
a  descriptive  reading.  The  page  that  is  broken  up  into 
frequent  conversations  shows  a  point  in  favor  of 
adaptation.  If  the  title  suggests  animation,  humor, 
uncertainty,  similarity,  antagonism,  or  affairs  of  life 
and  death,  the  student  will  do  well  to  apply  the  second 
test,  namely,  to  read  the  first  two  paragraphs  together 
with  a  paragraph  in  the  middle  and  the  concluding 
paragraph  to  see  if  the  story  holds  interest  and  pre- 
sents a  suitable  climax  for  a  public  reading.  If  this 
test  succeeds,  the  selection  should  be  read  carefully 
from  beginning  to  end,  keeping  in  mind  the  necessity 
for  consistency  in  maintaining  the  factors  of  interest. 
According  to  Mr.  Arthur  Phillips  in  Effective  Speak- 
ing the  factors  of  interest  are:  the  vital,  the  unusual, 
the  uncertain,  the  concrete,  the  similar,  the  antagonis- 
tic, and  the  animate.  A  story  to  be  really  entertaining 
must  embody  one  or  more  of  these  factors :  it  must 
deal  with  matters  of  life  and  death ;  with  unusual 
situations  out  of  which  grows  the  humorous  selection ; 
with  events  and  situations  whose  outcome  is  uncer- 
tain— the  mystery  story ;  with  a  concrete  rather  than 
abstract,  scientific,  or  philosophical  subject ;  with  ex- 
periences familiar  to  every  one ;  with  contending 
forces ;  or  with  rapid,  invigorating  motion.  Stories 
that  appeal  to  the  reader  at  once  as  intensely  gripping, 
with  plenty  of  conversation  and  movement,  or  stories 
of  deep  sympathy  and  sentiment,  afford  much  oppor- 
tunity for  adaptation  for  public  reading.     After  the 


STUDY  201 

student  has  applied  his  three  tests  and  has  read  the 
selection  once  aloud  to  visualize  the  pictures  and 
determine  the  effect  the  voice  produces,  at  the  same 
time  imagining  the  effect  it  would  have  on  an  audience, 
he  is  ready  to  ''cut,"  or  abridge  it  for  public  use. 

Cutting  the  Selection. — Much  that  is  written  pri- 
marily for  silent  reading  may  be  omitted  when  given 
orally  with  the  added  expression  of  action  and  vocal 
change.  Long  descriptive  passages  may  be  reduced  to 
a  sentence,  or  rewritten  in  two  or  three  crisp  para- 
graphs. A  great  deal  of  the  descriptive  dialogue  (the 
"he  said,"  "said  she,  smiling"  and  the  "answered 
^lary,  as  she  put  her  hand  over  her  heart,"  etc.),  may 
be  dispensed  with,  for  the  reader  himself  may  suggest 
the  action  or  the  characters  without  making  the  de- 
scription necessary.  The  teacher  with  his  superior 
judgment  and  experience  should  assist  the  pupil  in 
cutting  all  unnecessary  parts  of  the  story  and  such 
parts  of  the  conversation  as  may  be  omitted  without 
injuring  the  plot  or  the  continuity  of  the  theme.  In 
a  short  time  the  student  will  be  able  to  do  his  own 
cutting  with  very  little  suggestion  from  the  teacher, 
lie  will  soon  comprehend  the  significance  of  certain 
passages  of  description  compared  to  the  triviality  of 
others.  He  will  seem  to  know  intuitively  where  to 
retain  the  "he  said"  and  "said  she"  and  where  it  would 
be  wise  to  omit  them.  Practice  and  observation  will 
develop  judgment  and  a  critical  standard  in  viewing 
one's  own  work,  so  that  the  pupil  may  soon  become 
independent  of  the  teacher.  Self-reliance  in  choosing 
and   cutting  selections  should  be  encouraged  by  the 


202         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATIOISi 

teacher  at  the  very  beginning.  A  teacher  who  does 
not  present  principles  on  which  a  student  may  become 
his  own  critic  is  a  mere  "coach" — not  a  teacher. 

Preparing  the  Selection  for  Delivery. — The  selec- 
tion having  been  chosen  and  arranged  for  public 
reading,  the  question  of  how  to  prepare  it  next  arises. 
"Shall  I  give  it  from  memory  or  shall  I  read  it  from 
the  manuscript  with  a  desk  before  me?"  says  the 
student.  At  this  point  there  seems  to  be  diversity  of 
opinion.  Some  teachers  never  encourage  memorizing 
and  others  insist  upon  it.  Some  hold  the  opinion  that 
to  present  a  reading  from  memory  is  to  descend  to 
the  plane  of  vaudeville,  and  that  reading  from  the 
page  is  the  only  dignified  way  of  presenting  literature. 
Others  maintain  that  no  reading  from  the  page  can  be 
as  powerful  or  as  impressive  as  reading  from  mem- 
ory; that  the  reading  from  the  page  detracts  from 
the  interest  of  the  audience  and  gives  the  impression 
that  the  reader  is  too  lazy  to  memorize.  There  seems 
to  be  no  common  ground  for  argument.  In  fact,  it  can 
be  shown  that  there  is  a  place  for  b^h  ways  of  pre- 
senting literature  and  that  either  way  can  be  made 
artistic.  It  is  obvious  that  acting  or  personating  can 
be  given  in  no  other  way  than  from  memory,  but  im- 
pcrsonative  reading  and  pure  reading  (since  no  walk- 
ing about  nor  literal  action  is  required)  may  be  given 
at  the  desk  and  with  the  manuscript.  The  greater 
part  of  literature  suitable  for  a  reader  is  of  the  type 
requiring  either  pure  reading  or  impersonative  read- 
ing, so  the  question  of  using  the  manuscript  arises  at 
the  point  where  the  student  finds  himself  able  to  read 


STUDY  203 

as  suggestively  and  with  apparently  as  powerful  an 
effect  with  the  book  before  him.  He  sees  at  once 
that  he  can  have  a  much  wider  repertoire  and  that 
the  suggestions  he  gives  are  not  hindered  by  the 
presence  of  the  book.  Upon  experiment  he  is  told  by 
his  audiences  that  they  were  not  even  conscious  of 
the  book ;  that  the  story  was  as  vivid  as  if  it  had  been 
witnessed  on  the  stage.  This  commendation  of  the 
artist's  work  may  be  perfectly  sincere,  but  at  the  same 
time  it  may  be  misleading  to  the  student  of  reading. 
To  be  able  to  read  masterfully  from  the  page  to  a 
public  audience  is  an  ideal  worthy  of  great  effort,  but 
the  student  must  not  be  in  too  much  of  a  hurry  to  put 
it  into  practice.  Artistic  reading  from  the  page  is 
difficult  of  attainment  and  can  not  be  accomplished 
w^ith  any  degree  of  success  until  the  student  has  had 
years  of  practice  in  memory  presentation.  To  read 
publicly  from  the  page  requires  the  ability  to  take  in 
at  a  glance  whole  paragraphs.  It  presupposes  such  a 
familiarity  with  the  lines  that  they  could  almost  be 
said  to  be  memorized.  The  work  of  preparation  is 
almost  as  exacting  as  if  the  selection  zvcre  memorized, 
except  that  the  emphasis  is  put  on  mood  and  charac- 
terization rather  than  on  the  mechanics  of  memory. 
The  student  puts  the  extra  amount  of  time  that  would 
otherwise  be  occupied  in  the  drudgery  of  memorizing 
in  perfecting  his  characterizations  and  making  vivid 
his  atmospheres.  When  the  reader  has  accomplished 
the  art  of  reading  publicly  from  the  page,  there  is  a 
distinct  advantage  in  this  mode  of  presentation.  We 
shall  conclude,  therefore,  that  the  teacher  should  in- 


204         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

sist  upon  his  pupils  memorizing  for  public  presenta- 
tion until  they  have  acquired  the  fine  art  of  reading 
from  the  page. 

"How  to  memorize"  is  the  next  question  that  arises 
in  the  preparation  of  a  selection  for  public  reading. 

Professor  J.  S.  Gaylord  in  an  article  published  by 
the  National  Association  of  Speech  Education  has  of- 
fered an  admirable  method  of  procedure  which  we 
shall  not  take  the  time  to  quote  here.  Assuming  that 
the  student  has  already  been  made  acquainted  with  the 
principles,  we  shall  merely  add  a  statement  or  two 
which  may  be  applied  to  any  good  method  of  memor- 
izing. The  teacher  can  not  be  too  careful  in  caution- 
ing the  student  against  slip-shod  memorizing  or  the 
old  "conning  by  rote"  method  and  mechanical  line  by 
line  study.  If  the  student  has  been  properly  trained 
in  the  principles  of  grouping,  group  sequence,  group 
values,  motives,  etc.,  he  will  intuitively  memorize  the 
ideas  rather  than  the  words.  His  greatest  trouble 
will  be  in  memorizing  the  transitions,  or  associating 
the  last  line  of  one  paragraph  with  the  first  line  of 
the  next.  Here  he  will  have  to  form  deliberately  some 
mental  picture  or  association  that  recalls  the  new 
paragraph  immediately  upon  speaking  the  last  line  of 
the  preceding  paragraph.  Then,  he  must  repeat  the 
two  lines  several  times  as  he  visualizes  his  picture  until 
they  become  inseparable.  It  is  rarely  within  the  body 
of  a  paragraph  that  the  memory  fails  if  it  has  been 
associating  ideas  rather  than  words. 

The  student  should  stand  by  desk  and  book  and 
work  over  his  selection  aloud  just  as  he  hopes  to  give 


STUDY  205 

it  publicly  after  discarding  the  manuscript.  He  should 
have  his  body  free  for  suggestive  action  which  will 
gradually  manifest  itself  as  the  moods  become  more 
and  more  a  part  of  the  reader.  Besides  gaining  val- 
uable practice  in  reading  from  the  page  he  is  memor- 
izing more  rapidly  and  surely,  because  he  is  forming 
more  complete  associations.  To  sit  down  and  mum- 
ble over  the  lines  of  a  selection  is  not  only  a  slow  way 
of  memorizing  but  a  harmful  way,  because  it  separates 
the  lines  from  their  attendant  action  and  creates  men- 
tal impressions  that  have  to  be  changed  when  final 
preparation  comes.  Imagining  an  audience  every 
time  the  selection  is  read  over  helps  the  student  to  vis- 
ualize every  situation  and  put  his  best  effort  into  the 
interpretation.  The  selection  should  be  read  from 
beginning  to  end  a  number  of  times  in  order  to  get  a 
complete  idea  of  it  as  a  unit.  The  single  paragraph 
should  not  be  committed  until  the  entire  selection  is 
practically  memorized.  Then  the  student  may  take 
weak  paragraphs — or  those  which  seem  more  difficult 
to  fix  exactly  in  mind  and  work  over  them  separately 
until  the  difficulty  is  overcome,  but  he  should  never 
learn  a  selection  page  by  page  or  paragraph  by  para- 
graph. 

The  teacher  should  remind  the  student  during  his 
practice  that  he  is  not  to  visualize  the  scene  or  the 
characters  on  the  platform  with  him,  but  should  always 
see  the  scene  and  the  characters  with  whom  he  con- 
verses in  front  of  him  and  a  little  to  one  side.  The 
reader  will  look  at  his  audience  in  giving  the  descrip- 
tive parts,  and  when  assuming  characters  he  should 


2o6         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

place  them  in  his  own  imagination  just  a  little  to  the 
right  and  left  of  an  assumed  straight  line  extending 
in  front  of  him  out  through  the  center  of  his  audience. 
He  need  never  imagine  more  than  two  at  a  time,  but 
he  should  always  visualize  the  one  to  zvhoni  he  is 
speaking,  reserving  his  kinesthetic  imagery  and  audi- 
tory imagery  for  the  character  he  is  assuming.  When 
he  shifts  to  the  other  characters  he  merely  directs  his 
attention  slightly  to  the  other  side  of  the  center  line 
and  visualizes  the  character  who  the  instant  before 
was  speaking  but  who  now  is  the  listener.  Care 
should  be  taken  not  to  make  the  angle  too  wide.  Just 
a  slight  turn  from  left  to  right  and  back  to  left  is  suffi- 
cient to  suggest  the  opposition  of  two  people  in  con- 
versation. If  the  situation  demands  one  person  ad- 
dressing at  the  same  time  two  people,  the  speaker  looks 
from  right  to  left  while  sustaining  the  mood  and 
attitude  of  the  speaker.  Then  when  another  speaks, 
the  change  may  be  indicated  by  a  change  of  mood 
and  attitude  or  by  a  word  of  description.  When  there 
are  more  than  three  concerned  in  the  conversation, 
the  speaker  in  addressing  them  all  visualizes  them 
scattered  about  in  front  of  him  and  on  a  level  with  him. 
Any  two  of  them  in  rapid  conversation  will  demand  a 
slight  turn  from  left  to  right,  etc.  Bits  of  description 
also  aid  in  keeping  the  characters  distinct.  There 
should  be  no  attempt  in  portraying  normal  characters, 
to  distinguish  by  peculiarity  of  feature  or  action.  Pure 
reading  means  to  suggest. 

All  that  has  been  said  about  preparing  the  selec- 
tion pertains  to  both  the  character  reading  and  the 


STUDY  207 

interpretative  reading.  The  method  of  learning  a  per- 
sonation is  necessarily  different.  Since  action  is  more 
important  here  than  the  snbject-niatter,  the  reader, 
after  the  first  few  readings  from  beginning  to  end, 
may  profitably  work  out  his  action  paragraph  by 
paragraph,  learning  the  lines  as  he  proceeds,  at  first 
with  the  manuscript  in  his  hand,  and  later,  as  he 
develops  detailed  action,  laying  the  book  aside  and 
referring  to  it  as  he  needs.  He  must,  however,  work 
longer  on  the  selection  than  is  necessary  on  a  reading 
after  he  has  committed  it  perfectly  in  order  to  adjust 
all  action  with  the  lines  and  make  easy  transitions. 
In  working  over  a  personation,  he  should  remember 
that  the  scene  is  imagined  upon  the  platform  with  him, 
so  in  speaking  to  an  assumed  character  he  will  turn 
so  that  the  audience  can  imagine  the  other  character 
standing  there  with  him.  In  a  reading  (whether  a 
character  reading  or  an  interpretative  reading)  the 
characters  are  not  imagined  on  the  platform  at  all. 


CHAPTER  XV 

CHOICE    OF    PROFESSIONAL    TRAINING 

Introductory. — When  the  student  has  completed 
a  thorough  preliminary  course  and  has  acquired  an 
understanding  of  the  breadth  of  the  field  of  expression. 
he  will  instinctively  make  a  choice  of  profession  ac- 
cording to  the  particular  phase  of  the  work  to  which 
he  takes  an  especial  liking.  If  he  is  practical  rather 
than  artistic,  he  will  naturally  wish  to  develop  along 
the  lines  of  original  public  speaking  and  will  be  in- 
clined to  thrust  aside  any  suggestion  of  dramatic 
work,  as  unnecessary  and  sentimental.  If  he  is  artis- 
tic, his  taste  will  point  either  to  acting  or  to  public 
reading  and  he  in  turn  may  be  inclined  to  disparage 
the  original  public  speaking  as  unnecessary  to  the  ac- 
complishment of  his  histrionic  ambition.  The  teacher 
should  make  clear  that  any  branch  of  the  field  is 
helpful  to  the  development  of  the  others.  The  most 
intensive  study,  of  course,  will  finally  be  directed  to 
the  technique  of  the  field  one  is  to  make  his  profes- 
sion. The  man  who  wishes  to  use  his  powers  of 
expression  in  a  practical  way,  as  a  lawyer,  teacher, 
or  salesman,  can  have  no  better  preparation  than  a 
course  in  acting  followed  by  one  in  public  reading, 
taking  them  up  in  a  more  general  way  than  his  final 
course   in   public   speaking  which  should  be   studied 

208 


STUDY  209 

intensively,  placing'  emphasis  on  extempore  oratory 
and  debating.  The  artist,  on  the  other  hand,  parallel 
with  his  intensive  study  of  acting  or  reading,  should 
take  up  a  general  course  in  extempore  speech  and 
debating. 

Suggested  Course  for  the  Actor. — He  who  aspires 
to  be  an  actor  is  permitted  the  great  joy  of  plunging 
at  once  into  his  chosen  work,  but  he  will  have  the 
lesser  joy  later,  of  departing  from  it  for  a  time  in 
order  to  take  up  the  work  of  the  reader,  and  the 
arduous  work  of  making  speeches  and  debating.  Be- 
cause acting,  as  we  have  shown,  comes  logically  before 
reading,  it  is  taken  up  by  the  student  first  as  a  prepara- 
tion for  reading.  Later  he  goes  back  to  acting  for  his 
intensive  and  permanent  study  in  more  difficult  roles. 
His  work  in  reading  will  have  given  him  experience 
in  suggestion  and  in  creating  subtle  impressions  upon 
the  minds  of  his  audience,  so  that  when  he  goes  back 
to  his  larger  field  of  acting,  his  work  Avill  have  a 
finish  and  culture  rarely  found  in  any  except  the  most 
well-known  Shakespearian  or  classical  actors,  and 
among  those  who  have  achieved  world  wide  fame  in 
our  most  literary  modern  plays.  Along  with  his 
first  work  in  acting  the  student  should  take  a  good 
course  in  the  forms  of  public  address  and  in  argu- 
mentation and  debating.  These  courses  do  more 
toward  making  him  master  of  his  audience  than  any 
other  work  he  can  take.  Debating  develops  his  logic 
and  his  judgment,  it  teaches  him  to  think  quickly  and 
accurately  while  before  an  audience,  and  above  all  it 
builds    for  his   interpretative   work   a   common   sense 


210         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

foundation  that  lifts  it  into  the  rcahii  of  true  art  free 
from  hyper-emotionalism  and  "barnstorming"  senti- 
mentality. The  next  step  in  the  student's  eulturc 
should  be  a  study  of  personating,  followed  by  imper- 
sonative  reading,  and  later  by  pure  reading.  After 
broad  rather  than  intensive  study  of  the  reader's  field, 
the  student  who  chooses  acting  as  his  profession  will 
take  up  the  more  technical  phases  and  work  up  roles 
in  serious  drama  and  tragedy. 

A  brief  summary  of  the  sequence  of  courses  lead- 
ing to  the  actor's  profession  would  be:  Preliminary 
Courses,  Acting  (simple  comedy  and  farce)  together 
with  Public  Speaking  and  Argumentation  ;  Personat- 
ing and  Impersonative  Reading;  Pure  Reading  and 
finally  intensive  study  of  acting  in  the  serious  Drama 
and  Tragedy. 

Suggested  Course  for  the  Reader. — The  sequence 
of  courses  for  the  reader  is  the  same  as  for  the  actor, 
but  the  intensive  study  begins  with  Impersonative 
Reading,  and  continues  through  Pure  Reading,  broad- 
ening and  developing  the  larger  suggestiveness  and 
the  ability  to  read  artistically  from  the  printed  page 
for  public  entertainment.  The  Reader  does  not  go 
back  to  an  intensive  study  of  acting,  but  devotes  his 
finishing  culture  to  Pure  Reading. 

Suggested  Course  for  the  Public  Speaker. — Since 
the  i)ractical  business  man  has  little  inclination  for 
fine  art,  it  may  be  difficult  to  persuade  him  to  take  up 
courses  in  Acting  and  Reading  as  a  foundation  for 
original  public  speech.  He  will  want  to  plunge  at 
once  into  declamation  or  some  type  of  speech  making 


STUDY  211 

that  shows  promise  of  developing  him  along  practical 
lines.  He  thinks  that  the  preliminary  courses  in  physi- 
cal culture  and  speech  mechanics  arc  surely  all  that  is 
necessary  to  launch  him  into  his  regular  field.  The 
tactful  teacher  will  explain  that  a  study  of  human 
nature  is  particularly  essential  to  the  practical  busi- 
ness man  and  that  no  subject  offers  a  better  study  of 
varying  moods  and  their  accompanying  outward  ex- 
pression than  dramatic  art.  He  w^ill  shov/  that  prac- 
tice in  action  and  the  literal  assuming  of  different 
types  will  aid  in  recognizing  the  types  when  he  meets 
them  in  business  life.  Of  course  the  practical  man  is 
usually  inartistic,  so  the  teacher  should  not  attempt  to 
make  an  artist  of  him.  He  can  only  give  the  necessary 
opportunity  for  the  student  to  get  a  general  develop- 
ment in  that  direction  so  that  it  may  be  of  use  to  him 
indirectly  when  he  takes  up  extempore  and  impromptu 
speaking,  argument  and  debate,  salesmanship  and 
promoting,  in  his  intensive  study.  Dramatic  work  is 
helpful  as  a  foundation  for  any  profession  for  it 
teaches  the  student  adaptability  and  gives  him  keener 
judgment  of  human  nature.  He  can  not  take  a  course 
in  acting  without  increasing  his  kinesthetic  develop- 
ment and  he  can  not  work  at  reading  for  any  length 
of  time  without  developing  a  finer  sense  of  values 
through  his  cultivation  of  suggestion.  The  teacher 
should  therefore  strongly  urge  the  sequence  of  study 
suggested,  for  the  development  is  based  on  sound 
psychology  and  experiment  has  shown  reliable  results. 
A  Word  about  the  Preliminary  Courses. — Before 
leaving  the  subject  of  suggested  courses  it  may  be  well 


212         DRAMATIC  INTERPRETATION 

to  explain  tlie  nature  of  Preliminary  Courses  neces- 
sary as  a  foundation  to  any  proper  development  along 
professional  lines. 

A  good  course  in  physical  instruction  including 
calesthenics  and  esthetic  culture  should  coordinate 
with  a  course  in  speech  mechanics  and  voice  culture 
as  the  beginning  of  every  student's  work  in  oral  ex- 
pression. 

Following  this  course  the  student  should  have  daily 
drill  in  common  reading  from  the  printed  page:  he 
should  learn  the  principles  of  grouping,  group  se- 
quence, denotation,  connotation,  etc.,  so  that  his  read- 
ing may  be  intelligent  without  being  cold  and  me- 
chanically precise. 

A  third  course  immediately  preparatory  to  Acting 
and  Reading  may  profitably  consist  in  practice  in  com- 
mon reading  in  such  well  known  classics  as  The 
Christmas  Carol,  Julius  Ccesar  and  Enoch  Arden  or 
Evangeline.  At  this  point  the  student  ought  to  be 
ready  to  start  his  public  program  work  in  the  course 
of  acting. 

When  the  course  in  acting,  personating,  impersona- 
tive  reading  and  pure  reading  is  begun,  the  work  of 
practical  public  speaking  should  be  started  and  carried 
on  parallel  to  the  dramatic  work,  the  extempore  speak- 
ing and  the  practice  in  different  types  of  original  oral 
composition  preceding  the  work  in  oral  debate. 

THE   END 


APPENDIX 


APPENDIX 

Definition  of  Class  Types.— It  is  assumed  that  the 
student  is  already  familiar  with  the  underlying  princi- 
ples of  elocution  including  a  knowledge  of  the  vocal 
elements,  quality,  force,  pitch  and  time,  and  the  neces- 
sary fundamental  laws  of  action,  so  the  definitions  as 
set  forth  in  the  Appendix  may  be  accepted  merely  as 
an  aid  to  a  clearer  understanding  of  the  more  technical 
classifications  offered  in  the  book. 
(i.)     The  Artists  Defined.     The  actor  is  trained  to 
assume   realistically   during  the  entire   time  he  is   in 
view  of  the  audience  a  single  character  in  appropriate 
make-up  and  costume,  surrounded  by  scenery  repre- 
senting the  background,  or  setting  of  the  play,   and 
assisted  by  stage  properties,  furniture,  lighting  effects, 
and  all  the  paraphernalia  necessary  to  a  realistic  per- 
formance.    He  works  with  fellow  actors  also  appro- 
priately  costumed.     His   art,   acting,   is  the   only   art 
that   allows   more   than   one    actual   participant.      He 
may  be  alone  on  the  stage  in  soliloquy  or  he  may  be 
with  any  number  who  are  engaged  with  him  in  dialogue 
and  action.     The  actor  always  speaks  his  lines  from 
memory. 

The  reader  is  trained  to  assume  more  or  less  sug- 
gestively one  or  many  characters  during  the  time  he 
is  in  view  of  his  audience.  His  province  is  not  the 
stage  but  the  platform.     He  is  not  assisted  by  make- 

215 


2i6         DRAMATIC    INTERPRETATION 

up,  costumes  or  stage  effects  but  appears  on  the  plat- 
form in  conventional  attire.  The  reader  may  speak 
his  lines  from  memory  or  from  a  manuscript  upon  a 
desk  before  him. 

(2.)  The  Arts  Defined,  Elocution  is  the  general 
term  used  to  include  all  forms  of  public  or  private 
speech  in  which  voice  and  action  are  employed. 

Acting  refers  to  that  type  of  art  by  which  one  or 
more  persons  in  appropriate  costumes  and  make-up 
and  with  special  properties,  stage  furniture  and  scen- 
ery, present  realistically  a  piece  of  dramatic  literature. 

Reading  is  a  general  term  representing  the  art  by 
which  one  person  on  the  public  platform  without 
make-up,  special  costume,  properties  or  any  stage  ac- 
cessories presents  more  or  less  realistically  any  piece 
of  literature.  This  term  includes  Personating,  Imper- 
sonative  Reading  and  Pure  Reading. 

Personating  is  that  form  of  reading,  here  arbitra- 
rily used  to  designate  the  art  of  characterization  with- 
out the  aid  of  make-up,  properties,  etc.,  but  with  literal 
action  throughout,  presenting  more  realistically  than 
suggestively  a  certain  form  of  literature  which  re- 
quires uninterrupted  speech  on  the  part  of  a  single 
character.  In  this  form  of  reading  the  use  of  proper- 
ties, etc.,  is  not  only  unnecessary  but  inconsistent  and 
confusing  to  the  audience. 

iMrERSONATiVE  READING  is  that  fomi  of  reading  in 
which  literal  action  is  not  essential  except  in  facial 
expression,  and  in  which  voluntary  vocal  adaptation 
and  facial  characterization  are  of  primary  importance 
for  the  presentation  of  eccentric  or  comedy  characters. 


APPENDIX  217 

This  type  may  be  regarded  as  the  "common  ground" 
between  personating  and  pure  reading.  The  use  of 
properties  in  this  kind  of  deUvery  would  be  a  hin- 
drance. Here  the  reader  may  assume  one  or  many 
characters  in  conversation. 

Pure  reading  is  that  form  of  reading   which   is 
purely  suggestive  of  characterization,  merely  reflect- 
ing   the    mood   of    normal    characters    or    describing 
events  and  situations  which  occur  in  ordinary  narra- 
tion and  description  or  in  lyric  composition.    Here  the 
reader  may  assume  one  or  several  normal  characters 
in  conversation.    The  use  of  properties  in  pure  read- 
ing is  uncomplimentary  to  the  audience. 
(3-)     Types  of  Literature  Defined.     The  play  is  a 
dramatic  composition  written  in  pure  dialogue  form 
in  which  two  or  more  characters  are  to  be  literally 
represented  in  appropriate  make-up  and  costume  and 
realistic   surroundings    consistent   with    the    plot.      It 
is  intended  primarily  for  acting  and  when  so  presented 
must  involve  literal  action  throughout  with  all  neces- 
sary  properties   and   with    attention   to   the   minutest 
detail   for  realistic  effect.     When  the   Play   is  to  be 
presented  by  a  reader  and  not  by  a  company  of  actors, 
the  form  of  its  composition  must  be  changed   from 
pure  dialogue  to  descriptive  dialogue  and   it  is  then 
called    The   Character   Play   or    The   Reading   Play 
according  to  essential  qualifications  already  discussed. 
The  soliloquy  is  a  composition  written  in  the  first 
person  representing  a  single  character  in  meditation, 
or  talking  to  himself.     No  other  characters  are  sup- 
posed to  be  present  at  any  time  during  the   speech. 


2i8         DRAMATIC   INTERPRETATION 

(This  statement  may  not  always  apply  to  the  soliloquy 
zi'ithin  the  Play).  The  Soliloquy  is  written  for  acting 
and  it  will  be  recognized  as  such  by  the  apparent 
necessity  for  costume,  scenery  or  special  properties. 
If  these  accessories  are  obviously  not  essential,  then 
the  selection  is  intended  for  the  reader  and  not  the 
actor  and  it  will  be  classed  as  a  Personated  Soliloquy, 
Character  Soliloquy  or  Reading  Soliloquy  according 
to  the  evident  purpose  of  its  author. 

Tke  rERSONATiON  is  a  composition  in  the  first  per- 
son written  in  any  one  of  the  three  literary  forms, 
soliloquy,  implied  dialogue,  or  direct  address.  The 
public  platform,  not  the  stage,  is  the  place  for  the 
Personation.  Here  literal  action  is  of  first  impor- 
tance, while  costumes,  properties,  etc.,  are  out  of 
place.  The  Personation  includes  four  types:  The 
Personated  Soliloquy,  the  Monologue,  the  Eccentric 
Address,  and  the  Character  Series. 

The  character  reading  is  composition  written  in 
first  or  third  person  and  in  any  one  of  the  three  liter- 
ary forms,  soliloquy,  implied  dialogue  or  descriptize 
dialogue.  The  Character  Reading  requires  eccentric 
or  comedy  characterization  in  voluntary  vocal  change 
and  facial  expression,  but  does  not  require  literal  ac- 
tion or  prolonged  attention  to  imaginary  objects. 
There  are  four  types  of  the  Character  Reading:  The 
Character  Soliloquy,  the  Character  Monologue,  the 
Character  Play,  and  the  Character  Narrative. 

The  interpretative  reading  is  that  class  of  com- 
position written  in  first  or  third  person  in  which  the 
expression  of  mood  and  atmosphere  is  all  that  should 


APPENDIX  219 

claim  the  reader's  attention.  No  literal  action  or  ec- 
centric characterization  is  required.  The  thought  and 
emotion  of  each  character  and  the  atmosphere  of  the 
narration  and  description  must  be  the  whole  aim  of 
the  reader  here.  The  Interpretive  Reading  may  take 
the  form  of  soliloquy,  implied  dialogue,  descriptive 
dialogue,  description,  pure  narration,  direct  address, 
or  lyric  composition.  As  sub-forms  of  the  Interpre- 
tive Reading  they  are  known  respectively  as  the  Read- 
ing Soliloquy,  the  Reading  Monologue,  the  Reading 
Play,  the  Descriptive  Reading,  the  Narrative  Read- 
ing, the  Declamation  and  the  Lyric  Reading. 

Unclassified  forms  are  those  selections  which  are 
purely  for  show  or  burlesque  entertainment  such  as 
Vaudeville  Stunts,  Character  Sketches  in  Costume 
and  Make-up,  and  Ventriloquial  Stunts.  These  forms 
do  not  come  under  legitimate  classification  as  art. 
They  require  mechanical  skill  rather  than  artistic 
achievement. 

Definition  of  Voice  and  Action.* — Since  Elocution 
is  expression  of  thought  and  emotion  by  means  of  voice 
and  action,  it  will  be  necessary  to  determine  exactly 
what  is  meant  by  these  terms  and  how  they  are  sub- 
divided. 

The  term  Acting  must  not  be  confused  with  the 
term  Action. 

Action  refers  to  any  bodily  expression  (except 
vocal  expression)  whether  in  repose  or  in  motion. 
It  includes  Pantomime  and  Bearing  and  is  also  given 


*See  Figure  C,  in  the  Introduction. 


220         DRAMATIC   INTERPRETATION 

a  separate  classification  from  the  view-point  of  literal- 
ness  and  suggesfireness.  It  should  be  understood 
that  all  action  as  classified  under  Pantomime  and 
Bearing  may  be  either  literal  or  suggestive  according 
to  the  requirements  of  the  selection  to  be  presented. 
(i.)  Action  Defined  According  ta  Bodily  Zones. 
Bearing  has  to  do  with  Carriage,  or  general  bodily 
motion,  and  with  Poise,  or  stationary  position  and  at- 
titude. 

Pantomime  has  to  do  with  Facial  Expression  and 
with  Gesture  (head,  hand,  arm,  leg  and  foot). 

Carriage  is  the  Gait,  or  walk,  run,  hop.  skip,  jump, 
lope,  or  stride,  of  an  individual ;  the  Reciprocal  Move- 
mcjits  (head,  shoulders,  arms,  etc.),  and  Other  Bodily 
Movements,  such  as  the  acts  of  sitting,  rising,  reclin- 
ing, falling  or  kneeling. 

Poise  is  the  stationary  attitude  of  the  body  whether 
in  standing,  sitting  or  reclining  position. 

Facial  expression  has  to  do  first,  with  manifesta- 
tion of  mood  in  Subjective  facial  expression,  show- 
ing fear,  delight,  love,  hate,  anger,  perplexity  and  all 
the  various  shades  of  thought  and  emotion.  Second. 
it  has  to  do  with  eccentric  characterisation  in  Feature 
Movements,  such  as  motions  of  the  jaw,  tongue  and 
teeth  in  biting  and  chewing  or  pursing  the  lips  in 
kissing,  etc.;  in  Fixed  Features  which  have  to  do 
with  the  holding  of  a  particular  expression  such  as  a 
prominent  jaw,  a  stiff  upper  lip,  a  peculiar  twist  of 
the  mouth,  a  closed  eye  or  a  lifted  eyebrow  through- 
out the  characterization ;  and  in  Recurring  Manner- 
isms,  or  habitual  facial  movements  such  as  the  twitch- 


APPENDIX  221 

iiig  of  the  lips,  the  bHnking  of  the  eyes,  the  wrinkhng 
of  the  forehead  or  the  nose,  and  movements  of  the 
tongue  in  the  cheek. 

Gesture,  having  to  do  with  the  movements  of  the 
head,  hands  and  the  Hmbs,  may  be  classified  under 
three  divisions :  Objective  Gesture,  or  that  which  is 
concerned  with  the  handling  of  objects,  real  or  imagin- 
ary ;  Indicative  Gesture  which  indicates  objects  at  a 
distance  or  points  out  directions,  dimensions  and  pro- 
portions, and  Subjective  Gesture  which  is  inseparably 
associated  with  Subjective  Facial  Expression,  both  of 
which  indicate  condition  of  being,  or  expression  of  mood, 
and  demand  mutual  coordination  of  all  bodily  agents. 
(2.)  Action  Defined  According  to  its  Literalness  and 
Suggestivcness.  Now  that  Action  has  been  defined 
and  classified  according  to  the  different  zones  of  ex- 
pression in  relation  to  mood  and  to  external  objects, 
the  entire  classification  may  be  applied  in  either  of 
two  ways ;  through  literal  action  or  through  sugges- 
tive action. 

Literal  action  refers  to  completed  movements  in 
Pantomime  or  Bearing  and  demands  minute  attention 
to  detail.  It  is  the  kind  of  action  required  in  Acting 
and  in  Personating  when  referring  to  objects  real  or 
imaginary  or  when  expressing  a  mood.  The  key-note 
of  literal  action  is  completion  of  movement. 

Suggestive  action  on  the  other  hand  refers  to  the 
initial  movement  of  Pantomime  or  Bearing  sufficient 
to  stimulate  the  imagination  of  the  beholder  to  com- 
]:>lete  in  his  own  mind  the  action  thus  suggested.  It  is 
the  kind  of  action  required  in  pure  reading. 


222         DRAMATIC   LNTERPRETATION 

(^.)  Voice  Defined,  \^oice,  or  Vocal  Expression, 
refers  to  the  voluntary  and  involuntary  changes  of 
the  voice  either  in  the  mechanics  of  speech  or  in  the 
expression  of  language. 

Involuntary  vocal  changes  are  those  infinite 
shades  of  color  in  tone  brought  about  spontaneously 
by  the  action  of  the  mood  (either  mental  or  emotional) 
in  the  unconscious  use  of  Quality,  Force,  Pitch  and 
Time.  This  change  of  voice  runs  through  all  types 
of  delivery  for  MOOD  is  the  basis  for  all  true  ex- 
pression. 

Voluntary  vocal  changes  are  the  changes  con- 
sciously effected  for  the  purpose  of  eccentric  or  com- 
edy characterizations.  These  changes  are  brought 
about  by  a  purposeful  imitation  of  Dialects,  Local  or 
Provincial  Mannerisms  of  the  voice,  Defective  Speech, 
such  as  lisping,  stuttering,  stammering,  false  articula- 
tions, etc.,  and  through  conscious  changes  of  Quality, 
Force,  Pitch  and  Time. 

Definition  of  Forms  of  Composition. — Soliloquy 
is  that  form  of  composition  used  to  give  utterance  to 
the  suggestion  of  meditative  thought.  In  real  life 
meditation  is  rarely  expressed  aloud,  but  for  story 
and  stage  purposes  such  expression  is  given  oral  form 
and  when  rendered  from  the  stage  or  platform  gives 
the  impression  of  "one  talking  to  himself,"  It  is 
written  in  the  first  person  and  in  present  tense  situa- 
tion. 

Implied  dialogue  is  that  form  of  composition 
found  in  the  Monologue  which  offers  but  one  side  of 
a  supposed  conversation,  leaving  the  other  side  to  the 


APPENDIX  223 

imagination  of  the  audience.  It  is  always  in  first 
person  and  in  present  tense  situation. 

Pure  dialogue  is  the  formal  dialogue  found  only 
in  the  Play.  It  consists  of  present  tense  dialogue 
and  detached  parenthetical  phrases  indicating  the  ac- 
tion of  the  play  together  with  other  explanations  not 
meant  for  public  expression. 

Descriptre  dialogue  consists  of  conversational 
lines  in  narration  written  in  either  the  first  or  third 
person,  and  in  the  past  tense  wherever  bits  of  descrip- 
tion occur.  These  explanatory  phrases  are  inseparably 
connected  with  the  dialogue,  for  example,  **'Bah! 
Plumbug!'  said  Scrooge,  and,  finding  nothing  more 
expressive  to  say,  said  again,  'Humbug !'  "  The  pure 
dialogue  of  the  play  is  often  changed  by  the  reader  to 
descriptive  dialogue  by  rephrasing  some  of  the  de- 
tached stage  directions  which  are  read  descriptively 
along  with  the  dialogue  of  the  play,  keeping  the  de- 
scription in  the  present  tense,  however,  instead  of  in 
the  past  tense  as  in  narration. 

Direct  address  is  the  form  of  composition  directed 
straight  at  an  audience,  and  is  found  only  in  speeches, 
orations,  debates,  didactic  addresses  and  sermons. 

Narration  is  composition  which  tells  a  story.  It 
may  contain  conversation  in  descriptive  dialogue  or  be 
pure  narration  w^ithout  conversation.  It  may  be  writ- 
ten in  first  or  third  person  but  is  always  in  past  tense. 

Description  is  composition  w^hich  describes  vividly 
a  scene,  an  event,  or  a  person  without  including  the 
narrative  feature.  It  is  generally  written  in  the  past 
tense  but  may  be  written  in  the  present. 


224         DRAMATIC   LNTERPRETATION 

Lyric  composition  is  idealistic  poetry  in  first  or 
third  person  which  expresses  a  universal  thought  or 
emotion  in  one  crystallized  moment  of  time.  It  is  the 
most  suggestive  and  imaginative  type  of  composition 
and  may  include  any  of  the  above  forms. 

Definition  of  Mood  and  Atmosphere. — Mood  is 
the  mental  or  emotional  condition  of  a  person. 

Atmosphere  is  the  mental  or  emotional  state  of 
environment.  It  is  the  result  of  mood  or  a  combina- 
tion of  moods,  and  may  be  suggested  to  an  audience 
by  the  reader's  mood  independent  of  the  moods  of  his 
characters. 


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